The Last True Uzumaki
by Venu3374
Summary: When a traumatic event proves that Naruto has inherited his mother's Adamantine Chains, the normal order of Konoha is thrown into chaos. Follows Naruto's quest to become strong enough to live up to his parent's legacy and protect those he loves. Naru/Hina, OOC, Bloodline Naruto, maybe Sasuke/Sakura bashing.
1. Prologue

He hated October 10th. When he heard of other people talking about their birthday, there was always an air of excitement. The presents, the family, the fun. It seemed odd, even to his young mind, that everyone else's life became something glamorous for one day, while his became a living hell for the same reason. As he crouched at the edge of the training ground, hidden next to a tall tree, he watched a group of people run past. Their cries of "Find the demon!" and "Avenge the Fourth!" echoed through the streets, and he could only hope that they would assume he'd stayed in the village.

"Happy birthday to me." He muttered darkly. At least this year they hadn't caught him. Last year he'd been unlucky enough to get trapped in a blind alley, cornered by a trio of genin much older than him. He hadn't been able to walk for nearly two weeks after that.

As the last of the roving "avengers" fell out of sight, Naruto let out a small sigh of relief. True, he would most likely have to spend the night out in the forest and, true, he wouldn't get anything to eat out here. But anything was better than being left bloody in an alleyway for something he couldn't understand. He turned to move deeper into the forest, hoping to find a place to wait out the rest of the day, walking among the great trees that made up part of the defense of the hidden village. After all, if they could hide an entire village from enemy eyes, surely they could hide one small boy? Twenty minutes of searching in the edge of the forest yielded a small cubby, created by a bush over a depression in some tree roots, and he crouched inside. " _Comfy enough, I guess"_ He thought. Still tired from his flight from the hunting villagers, he slipped into a fitful slumber, dreaming of warm food and a loving smile.

Naruto was torn from his pleasant dreams by an arm grabbing him around the neck, pulling him from his sanctuary. He was thrown unceremoniously to the side, and blearily looked up at his attacker. A single ninja stood in front of him, his face covered in scars that looked like claw marks.

"You think you can hide from me, demon!?" The man screamed. Even from where he was sitting, Naruto could smell the alcohol fumes coming off of him. "Today's the day I pay you back for ruining my face….my LIFE!" he was becoming more agitated by the second. A barely seen flick of the hand caused Naruto's shoulder to erupt in pain. He looked over to see the hilt of a kunai sunk into his arm. Panicking, Naruto tried to backpedal away from the enraged ninja, but his right arm wasn't working. His weak shuffling seemed to amuse the drunken ninja, and he laughed as he pulled another kunai, approaching slowly.

"No one to hear you scream out here demon. Nobody to come save you from your fate. I'm going to gut you like a pig, like you tried to do to me!" Naruto couldn't understand why he was being chased like this, why everyone seemed to hate him and blame him for things he didn't remember doing. The man loomed over him, arm poised for the final stab, and Naruto raised his good arm to try and shield himself. Eyes closed, his only thought echoed over and over.

" _I don't want to die, I didn't do anything to deserve this! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"_ Adrenaline pounded through his body, and it seemed to take forever for the strike to fall. After a moment, Naruto felt a drop of something warm hit his forehead. Opening his eyes in confusion, he looked up, expecting the kunai to impale him at any moment. His eyes widened as he saw what was preventing his fate. The ninja was still in front of him, but instead of a vengeful figure bent on Naruto's death, the man looked more like a marionette with its strings cut. Transparent chains were stabbed into every part of his body, holding him in place. Blood ran from him mouth, and the arm holding the kunai was not just stabbed, but wrapped from elbow to fingertips in the chains.

"M..monster" The word, gasped as the light left the ninja's fear-laden eyes, ripped through Naruto. He'd just killed a man, a _ninja._ He recoiled, and the chains recoiled with him. For a second he was afraid they would impale him next, until he looked at the chains again, and followed them backwards. They were coming from _him!_ He reached down, panicked, tried to brush the chains away. The only response from the chains was to pull away from the body of the slain ninja. As it fell, the chains moved back and stopped, poised around him in a protective shell, points outward. Something clicked in Naruto's mind. "They…protected me?" It was a novel concept to him. Nobody had ever protected him, ever helped him. He reached out to one of the pointed ends of the chains, and it curled towards him. He ran his hand over the slightly glowing edge of one spear-like point, only to wince slightly as his finger was cut. " _Sharp"_ he thought. The cut closed almost immediately, just as always, but the drop of bright red blood remained.

As if the sight of that drop of blood was a trigger, a jagged bolt of pain pulsed through his right arm. He gasped, and remembered the kunai. He looked at it, and then clenched his teeth. This was going to hurt. A lot.

He reached over with his left hand and grasped the handle of the kunai, took a deep breath, and pulled. There was another burst of pain, this time strong enough to make him see stars, but the kunai stayed firmly in place. Blood began to seep around the wound, and his hand was coated by some of the red substance. He gripped harder, took another breath, and tried again. Again, there was a flash of pain, but the kunai was stationary. Barely able to think through the pain, he kept pulling, focusing every bit of his willpower on getting the kunai out of his shoulder. Just when it seemed that he would fail, one of the chains whispered by and curled around his hand. The pressure on his shoulder spiked, and with a wet sound the dagger was pulled free. Naruto had only a moment to look at the chain, now spotted with blood, in surprise before the darkness took him and pulled him into blissful unconsciousness.

It was dark when Naruto awoke, and it took him a second to get his bearings. He looked at the body of the ninja he'd killed, only a few paces away. " _I can't go back now"_ he thought. " _They hated me even when I hadn't done anything. Now that I've killed someone….they'll kill me"_ He heard the sound of twigs snapping, and his head whipped towards the village. He could hear voices coming closer, and it only took him a second to decide. He needed to hide, or they would find him and punish him for the man's death. He looked around, but with his previous shelter already exposed the only choices seemed to be either run and risk the approaching figures seeing or hearing him, or try to climb and hide. He decided the trees were the better choice, and looked quickly for a low branch to grasp.

Unfortunately there were few trees with branches low enough for a four-year-old to climb, and he began to panic. In desperation, he jumped to try and grab the lowest branch of the tree whose roots he'd taken shelter in before. As he focused on his target, he again felt the sensation of energy rushing through his limbs, and almost cried out in shock as a translucent chain sprang from his palm and wrapped around the branch. He spared only a moment before climbing up the chain to the low branch, and wondered how he could get the chain to unwrap so he could climb higher. As if spurred by his thoughts, the chain unwrapped, retracting until only about a foot long segment tipped by a spear blade extended from his hand. He hesitated a second, then thought about the chain wrapping around the next branch up. Just as it had before, the chain extended from his hand and wrapped around the next branch, pulling Naruto up with it as it retracted. Despite his troubles, Naruto smiled. " _This is kind of fun!"_

By utilizing his new chain, Naruto managed to quickly climb up the tree until the branches grew too thin to support his weight. He then sat, nearly 150 feet up in the air, and waited, hoping nobody would find him. He used the chain to wrap around himself like a strait jacket and anchor him to the tree, enjoying the secure feeling of being held. It was almost like having a friend and, hey, the chains had protected him! Isn't that what friends did?

As the voices moved into the clearing, Naruto froze, barely even daring to breathe in case it gave him away. After a second he could hear shouts coming from below.

"Akihiro!? Kenta, get the Hokage, Aki's been attacked!" Naruto heard the sound of footsteps running off into the distance. "C'mon Aki, say something! You can't be dead; you still owe me a beer!" The first man called to Akihiro, but Naruto knew there would be no reply. He didn't think he'd ever be able to forget the image of Akihiro's death, nor his own part in it, even if it was self-defense. After a surprisingly short period of time, Naruto heard the sound of approaching footsteps, but this time instead of a single person there seemed to be a small army. As he caught sight of the Hokage, flanked by an ANBU in a dog mask on one side and a cat mask on the other, Naruto almost started hyperventilating in fear. As he waited, hoping to kami that he would remain undiscovered, the chain around him tightened unconsciously, as if that little bit of extra coverage would protect them.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was having a particularly bad day. The council had, as they did every October 10th, tried to convince him to order Naruto's death in homage to the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice. Nearly five hours of refusal from him, on top of three previous _years_ of refusal, seemed to make no difference, until finally he had called the council meeting closed in irritation.

" _Minato, if you could see them now…"_ He felt a wave of disgust. His successor would have probably killed half the council by now for even suggesting such a thing, much less in _his_ honor. And his wife….she would have dealt with the rest for not shutting down the petition in the first place.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the ANBU he'd set as guard over Naruto had apparently stood by as he was chased by a mob of villagers out for his blood, and then they'd _lost_ him. A four year old boy, lost by two of his "elite" soldiers. " _I hope they like border duty. They'll be lucky if they're in Konoha more than two or three days total over the next five years"_ Hiruzen thought darkly.

And now, to cap off this nightmare, he had a dead shinobi less than two miles outside the village proper. He stepped to the body, and looked down. Akihiro Fujioka was a middle of the line chunin with no particularly impressive strengths or weaknesses. In his prime, a man like Fujioka would have caused Hiruzen less than a second of trouble, dead before he even realized the fight started, but if someone of that level was sneaking around Konoha there was serious trouble. Gently turning the body over, Hiruzen was momentarily shocked at the number of deep stab wounds on the body. It looked as if the man's entire body had been impaled by spears, each mark sinking several inches into the body. It would have taken someone with impressive strength _and_ speed to stab so many times before the man died. The only time he'd seen something similar had been…..

"Kushina…" He whispered. He looked at the stab wounds again, noting that each seemed to have been made by the same weapon, and saw that one arm was crushed, with rope-like bruises covering the dead flesh. A kunai, it's shape distorted and bent, was still held in the destroyed hand.

"Inu" Hiruzen snapped. Immediately the dog-masked ANBU came forward. "Sir?" the ANBU asked.

"Can you tell me whose chakra was used here?" Hiruzen asked. He felt rather than saw the ANBU frown. The only way he could identify a chakra signature was if he'd seen the person before with his left eye, and very few outside Konoha fit that category and still lived. What the Hokage was asking suggested that someone _inside_ Konoha was the killer. A small nod from the Hokage confirmed the suspicion, and he pulled his headband up to reveal his left eye. The red iris scanned over the corpse, and then the ground in front of where the corpse had been found.

"Sir…" Inu's voice trailed off, and he motioned to the side. Hiruzen moved off to stand with him.

"What did you find?" Asked the Hokage. Inu hesitated a second, then began.

"There are 3 signatures present. One is obviously Fujioka-san's. The other two are…intertwined, but of different strengths. The first is very weak, but I would swear it was the Kyuubi's." Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. If the fox's chakra was here, then so was Naruto. It suddenly became much more important to find out what happened.

"The other is from someone I would have sworn was dead." Hiruzen froze, suspecting where this was going. "It was almost like Kushina-san's Adamantine Chains." Hiruzen swore internally. There was only one person alive who would be able to use those chains, and if Naruto had killed Fujioka Hiruzen knew the situation was perilous. He was barely able to keep the council at bay as it was, if they found out Naruto had killed an active-duty shinobi, even in self-defense, he would be lucky if Danzo gaining control over him was the worst of his problems.

"Tell _no one_ " Hiruzen spoke, a small amount of killing intent leaking into his voice. Inu reeled back in shock for a moment, but nodded at the orders. "From this moment, that information is an S-class secret, revealing it is punishable by death. You couldn't determine the other two signatures, understand?" Again, Inu nodded. Hiruzen very rarely used the full scope of the powers that being Hokage granted him, but times like this made it obvious why he'd been called the "God of the Shinobi". Just being the subject of his killing intent for a second left Inu's bones shaking.

Hiruzen walked over to the body, and addressed the others. "There is an unknown in the forest who has killed one of our shinobi. Find them." The shinobi present scattered, all except for the cat-masked ANBU and Inu. Hiruzen spoke without looking at either of them.

"Find Naruto. I don't care how long it takes you, or if you have to tear the entire village apart from top to bottom. _Find Him!"_ They both disappeared, and Hiruzen looked at the body on the ground once again. Had it really gotten so bad that the villagers would defy his orders to try and kill the boy? He put his head in his hands.

"I'm so sorry. Minato, Kushina, I've failed your son…" A single tear slipped down his cheek.

He maneuvered the body onto a sealing scroll, and in a puff of smoke Akihiro Fujioka was gone. There would be an official autopsy report on file, but the body would never see the light of day. He couldn't risk it.

High up in his tree, Naruto was conflicted. He knew he should stay quiet, but as everyone but the Hokage left his curiosity began to eat away at him. Finally, he decided to get a little closer. Still wrapped in his chains, he focused on extending his chain bit by bit. He lowered himself slowly, careful not to make any noise, trying to see the Hokage through the trees. Maybe if the Hokage was by himself, he would get a chance to explain his side of the story. The old man was one of the few people who ever spoke to Naruto, and although he was still wary of him (after all, everyone else seemed willing to attack him, so this could just be a trap with a long setup), it was his best chance to get the truth out. As he passed the second lowest set of branches, he heard something that made his blood freeze.

" _I'm so sorry. Minato, Kushina, I've failed your son…."_

Naruto heard a rushing sound in his ears, and for a moment he couldn't believe his ears. The old man hadn't seemed torn up about Akihiro's death, and had seemed more interested in the possibility of enemies in the wood that the death of that one shinobi. No, he'd only specifically sent out shinobi after one person: Naruto. So if he was apologizing for something, talking about failing their son….

Very few things had shaped Naruto's life more than his orphan status. Whether or not it was important to most people, they had a lineage. Their parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles; all the assorted relatives show you where you've come from, and what you _could_ be if you decided to put in the effort (or lack of effort, as a drunk uncle could attest). There was a sense of _completeness_ that came with family, as if no matter what happened you knew you were the culmination of generations of those who'd come before you. Naruto, as an orphan with unknown parents, had no such feeling.

For Naruto, it was as if he'd just appeared one day, hated by everyone around him. There was no family to go to for comfort, no ancestors whose memories he could look to for strength. He was not the latest branch of a large tree. He was the first root of a new tree; one denied the water that is compassion and companionship. He'd imagined what it would be like to know who his parents were, to be a part of a grand tree, but he'd never really thought it would happen. In one moment, however, he'd had his whole world shifted. Maybe he was grasping at straws, but now he had possible names to put to the idea of parents, the fantasy that had been living only in his mind. For a moment, the joy of discovery was paramount. And then came the anger.

" _That bastard KNEW!"_ He thought viciously. Unseen by Naruto, his pupils elongated slightly, his blue eyes shifting closer to purple. The chains around him seemed to bow out slightly, as if holding in great pressure.

Naruto had wanted to know who his parents were for the entirety of his very short life. As one of the only people who'd ever been kind to him, Naruto had once ventured the courage to ask Hiruzen if he knew who his parents were. Naruto could still remember the kind face he'd put on, lamenting that he did not. And all along the bastard had known!

Subconsciously, Naruto began to retract his chain, pulling himself higher. There was no way he was putting himself at the mercy of that man, not after finding out that he'd been denying Naruto knowledge of his heritage. As he once again reached the highest point of the tree, he anchored himself, and settled in to wait. He wasn't sure what he would do now, but he knew one thing: He was done with the abuse the villagers put him through. He reached a hand through the links of his translucent chain, and stroked it lightly. He had his first friend, anyways, and maybe the names of his parents. That was more than he'd ever had in the village, and it was something of a relief to think about being free of all the constant beatings and dark stares. As he stared and the stars, Naruto began to smile. This was the worst day of the year for him, but he was still more peaceful now than he'd ever been before. His last thought before drifting off to sleep was " _Maybe October 10_ _th_ _isn't so bad after all"_.

 **Six Months Later**

Living in the woods was something that every ninja became used to relatively quickly. Border patrols, escort missions, message delivery, and many other types of missions all required minor woodcraft knowledge, and as such there were not-insignificant portions of the academy curriculum focused on those subjects. Learning how to live in the woods on your own, however, is not an easy task. Learning how to live on your own in the woods as a _four year old_ was significantly more difficult for Naruto.

While not particularly cold, the Fire country was prone to its share of rainfall. Naruto quickly learned that, while useful for many things, chains make crappy umbrellas. Those first few weeks, Naruto learned quickly how important a good den was. It was a place for comfort, safety, and storage, often the difference between a cozy nap during a storm and being soaked to the skin for hours. Naruto's search for a den was complicated by the shinobi searching the forest for Akihiro's killer, but with his chain allowing him to stay among the highest branches of Konoha's forests, he quickly moved deeper into the forest. There, he managed to find a small depression midway up a large tree. Using the sharp edge of his chain, he painstakingly made the depression deeper until he could curl up in the hole like a cat. It was the first place Naruto had truly felt safe in, snug in his little tree cubby, and he treasured it all the more because of that.

With the matter of shelter taken care of, Naruto's next priority was food. Having grown up in an industrialized village, Naruto had never had to hunt or gather before. He was not sure exactly what he could eat, but remembered a few berries and other "natural looking" foods he'd seen in the forest, and decided to try and find something similar. The first berries he'd found had left him sick for days, barely able to move from his cubby hole in the tree. Without his extensive regeneration, it was likely that his young body would have succumbed to the toxins in the berries, and he vowed to never touch the bright red things again. Despite that, and other mishaps, he did eventually work out a few types of berries and roots to eat, and there was a stream flowing close to his tree that provided him with fresh water.

Hunting was something that Naruto did only rarely, when he had trouble finding enough berries and roots to keep himself fed. He didn't like killing or blood, and lighting a fire in the forest was always a risky proposition, but it was here that his chains really showed their worth.

As his only "friends", Naruto spent a large amount of time working with his chains. At first, he was only able to make one manifest, and kept that one out at all times. As the days passed, however, Naruto became bored (as four year olds are wont to do), and began to experiment. By focusing, he realized he could split smaller chains off of the main chain, and that led to him discovering how to emit more than one chain at once. He seemed to be able to produce about 70 meters of chain total, either in one long chain or several short chains, but keeping the full length out tired him extremely quickly. The chains gave him unmatched mobility in the forest, where anchor points where everywhere. He learned to move the chains like extensions of his arms and legs, and was soon zipping around the forest from tree to tree like a monkey, never touching the ground.

When hunting, Naruto world stick himself to a single tree above the stream near his tree, and wait for an animal like a rabbit or squirrel. It only took one or two tries for Naruto to realize that no matter how stealthily he tried, they would always hear him coming. His solution, then, was strike from far away. From his high perch, he would rapidly fire a single chain at his prey, spearing it on the sharp tip and retracting the chain back to himself. This both kept his prey from realizing he was there, and kept his catch from being stolen by one of the few predators that survived outside Konoha.

Naruto was, for the first time in his life, more or less content. He had food to eat, an interesting ability to play with, and nobody was trying to kill him for something he couldn't understand. He even had his parents, after a fashion. Inside his cubby hole, he'd carved two figures into the wood, one man and one woman. He would talk to them every day, detailing his life and observations. Along with his chain "friends", it was the closest he'd ever had to a family.

Occasionally he would go closer to Konoha's training grounds and watch as the ninja practiced their techniques, always wary of the slightest sign of being discovered. He was a wraith in the forest, more at home there than anywhere else, and as such was able to watch without being disturbed most of the time. Occasionally people would leave things behind on the training fields, kunai or misplaced scrolls. These he would secret away in a little pocket he'd made in his cubby hole, and on days when the rain made going outside unpleasant, he would try to teach himself to read from the scrolls or use his chains to throw the kunai at targets. Over time his collection grew, and his knowledge grew in proportion. He began to sneak out more often, in search of more scrolls and equipment to feed his growing mind. With little else to do besides practice and read, he used the scrolls as an escape from the forest around him, a window into another world that he could reach through the papers.

While Naruto's life was at an all-time high, Hiruzen Sarutobi's life was seemingly equally low. The council was constantly bickering with each other, Kumo was suggesting an alliance that was highly suspicious given their previous hostilities, and Danzo was becoming a little pushier every day. Naruto's loss weighed heavily on the old man, and the civilian part of the council took every opportunity to rejoice in his disappearance, while the shinobi side was irritated by the loss of so powerful a weapon as the Kyuubi. He was currently in the latest of a never ending series of negotiations with the ambassador from Kumo, who once again seemed to talk forever without actually _saying_ anything.

"I will take these latest results to my Kage, and hopefully we can continue onwards in our path towards a more cooperative atmosphere between our two villages" The man said. Hiruzen scowled internally. No mention of a treaty outright, no trade agreements, nothing concrete. He'd been negotiating for the better part of three months already and all they had agreed on was that they would like to agree on something at some point. Maybe. It was enough to make his blood boil! Instead of giving voice to his frustration, Hiruzen simply replied, "I look forward to it" with a neutral smile, and waited for the door to close. He sighed as soon as it did, and reached under his desk for the bottle of emergency sake he had stashed there. A long drink and a sigh later, and Hiruzen felt more himself.

The papers strewn across his desk never seemed to disappear, just like the problems he seemed to deal with on a daily basis. He had requests for more funding to the hospital, more funding to the village police, more funding to the academy, more funding to the civilian council, "Rejected" he muttered, all anyone seemed to want was more, more, more. He looked out over the village his teachers had built, that he'd spent the majority of his life protecting, and just felt unutterably _tired_.

" _I was never meant to take up the hat again, Minato"_ He though melancholically. He wanted nothing more than to retire, but couldn't think of anyone he would trust to replace him. He sighed, and turned back to his eternal enemy, the paperwork. Not for the first time, he considered torching the whole pile, but with his luck it would probably just grow faster.

"Again." The voice was stern, unyielding. Hinata looked up at her father, then at the branch member in front of her. He was panting heavily, barely able to lift his arms. Hinata had been using him as a training dummy for her Gentle Fist practice for the last half an hour, and the stress of repeated closure and reopening of his tenketsu was showing.

"Um, F-father. He s-s-seems to be in pain, m-maybe we should take a break?" Hinata said timidly. She hated using branch members as practice dummies, even if it was necessary to learn how to properly attack the tenketsu. The forms felt wrong to begin with, too rigid, and she messed up frequently as a result. Because of that, she often needed to practice the same strike multiple times on each opponent, causing her to inflict more pain than necessary to them.

Her father's frown deepened, and his eyes focused on her.

"If you do not want him to be in pain, the _get this right the first time_ " His voice was harsh, and she could see the disappointment in his eyes.

Hinata shrank from the criticism, and turned back towards the branch member. She tried to convey an apology through her eyes, but was unsure if her message was visible to him. She took her stance, moved forward and struck. Her father sighed.

"Again."

 **One year later**

Naruto was sitting at the edge of his "territory", as he termed it, looking out at the village of Konoha. A year and a half in the forests had changed him, making him nearly unrecognizable from the scrawny child they had chased away. He was still thin, but no longer painfully so. Lean muscle was evident on his body, and his skin was tanned from long hours outdoors. Those same hours had lightened his now longer hair even more, and exposed subtle red highlights only visible now that his hair was not quite so neon yellow. The biggest difference was in his eyes. They were no longer the eyes of a child, but of a forest predator. They took in every detail, and missed little in his domain. The forest was home to him in a way it was to few others, and he moved through it like a wraith.

Over the last 12 months he had ventured more and more frequently towards the village, until he now spent at least part of each day observing his former home. Despite the ugliness he'd seen in its heart, when he looked at the sparkling lights in the night, he could almost rationalize going back. They had to have forgotten about Akihiro by now, hadn't they?

Of course, in the light of day such thoughts were obvious for the fantasy they were. Murder was murder, no matter how long ago it had happened, and if they ever found out where he was there would be ANBU after him in an instant. So he watched, but never went closer than the edge of the outer training grounds.

Today he watched, as he had so many other nights, but was drawn to an abnormally large number of lights coming from one of the clan compounds. It was lit up like a beacon, and there were people running around in chaos. Naruto's curiosity pushed him close, closer than he'd been to the village proper in over a year. His night vision was superb, and he watched from a tree a mere thirty yards from the village walls as people were shouting "Find her" and "Kumo".

He had no idea what "Kumo" was, but it sounded as if they were looking for someone, someone important if the number of searchers was any indication. Although he felt bad that they'd lost someone, it wasn't his problem. Curiosity sated, he turned back to the forest. As he used his chain to jump to the next tree, a figure caught his eye. It was a person in black clothing, mask in place, and running with a sack on his back. Naruto followed, more to make sure the person wasn't going to make trouble in his "territory" than anything else, and observed the man. He wasn't moving particularly fast, but there was fluidity to his movements that Naruto had seen in some of the higher level shinobi he'd watched practice. Finally he noticed the sack on the man's back was moving, as if something was alive inside. He moved closer, his chain-assisted leaps through the trees easily matching the man's running pace, and began to hear sounds coming from the pack. They sounded plaintive, and were pitched too high to be anything but a girl's, young by the size of the sack.

Naruto froze for a moment, memories of Akihiro flashing through his mind. He may not be a part of the village anymore, but anybody attempting to harm a child in _his_ territory was going to get a rude awakening!

From his position in the treetops, Naruto moved ahead of the man by a few dozen meters, and waited. As the kidnapper neared his hiding spot, Naruto concentrated on forming one large spear. A single chain shot from his hand, faster than his eyes could follow, towards the man. At the last second he seemed to sense the attack, and turned to the side. Instead of hitting the man in the center of his chest, where Naruto had aimed, the chain struck him deep in the left shoulder, causing him to drop the sack on his back. It fell to the ground, and Naruto could see dark hair and pale skin through the opening in the top.

The kidnapper proved Naruto's previous assessment that his fluid movements were, indeed, an indicator of skill. With only a scant moment of hesitation at the surprise attack, he grabbed the chain in his shoulder and hauled. Naruto found himself flung from the tree and slammed into the ground, hard. He cried out in pain, and his vision grayed slightly.

"A brat? Now that's just insulting" the man said, moving forward as Naruto's chain dissolved from the shock of hitting the ground. "Now that's an interesting ability…..maybe today _is_ my lucky day after all. One Hyuuga breeder and a brand new kekkei genkai, all for Kumo! I'll definitely get a promotion for this." Naruto felt sick to his stomach. He might not have known much about village politics, but he knew enough from listening to others talk to piece together what a "breeder" was. He struggled to his feet.

"You're sick." He coughed out. " _That hit really hurt"_ He thought to himself, noting how tender his back was. "People are not cows; you can't just kidnap them and use them to make babies!" The man laughed.

"Yes, actually, I can. _Should_ I? That's not for me to decide. I have my orders, and that bitch is going to make me a lot of money. As are you, Mr. Chains." The man was less than two meters from Naruto now, and Naruto saw his chance. Instead of the single long chain from before, half a dozen shorter chains burst from his arms and chest. They flew towards the Kumo shinobi, arrowing towards the man's chest. He dodged the first strike, but they curved behind him and struck his back. From that angle they didn't penetrate deeply into his flak jacket, but drew blood. In irritation, the man pulled out several kunai and threw them at Naruto. His time in the woods had honed his reactions to the point where he could see the kunai, but his sore back and energy he'd spent manifesting the chains slowed him to the point where he could not dodge them all. Two of the kunai missed, but the last sunk deeply into the left side of his chest. He fell to his knees, blood bubbling out from behind his lips.

"Ah, shit. Well, at least I can take his body back. Maybe they can replicate it from there." He heard the Kumo shinobi's voice from in front of him. He fell to the ground, and the last thing he saw before the blackness overcame him was the eyes of the girl he'd been trying to save. _Such pretty eyes_ he thought. She was looking at him, and he thought she might have been trying to say something, but the dull ringing in his ears and her gag made it impossible to be sure. His last act was to mouth "I'm sorry. I tried" To her.

 **Inside Naruto's Mindscape**

Naruto opened his eyes inside what seemed to be a sewer. There were pipes running along the walls, and the floor was covered in a thin layer of water. He got to his feet, noticing that his cloths were dry despite the water he'd been laying in, and walked toward the only source of light he could see. It was a series of torches lining what seemed to be a gigantic wall of bars. As he tried to peer into the blackness, he noticed a single point of red light. The light grew larger as it seemed to move closer, and finally a resolved itself into an enormous eye. The being it belonged to stepped into what little light penetrated the bars, which he now realized were a cage, and Naruto marveled at the size. He'd seen foxes before, even if they were a bit rare close to Konoha, but this one had to be at least 50 or 60 feet tall from what he could see, and god only know how long.

 _ **So, you finally decided to show your face, jailor**_. The voice boomed throughout the room, echoing off of the walls.

"Jailor?" Naruto asked, confused. He definitely didn't remember sending anybody to jail.

 _ **You may not be the architect of my prison, but you are its warden. And you've been doing a remarkably bad job of upkeep, if I must say. Not only is this place a dump, but the whole complex is about to come crashing down around us thanks to your "noble" actions.**_ Its voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit defensive.

"How was I supposed to know he could dodge my chains!? Nobody's ever done that before." Granted, only one person had ever been up against his chains, and that had been by surprise. But he'd managed to hunt with them just fine!

 _ **There is a difference between a drunk chunin and a Jonin on full alert for possible enemies. Honestly, I'm surprised you managed to land a hit at all.**_ A small snort escaped from the beast's mouth, and it shifted to get more comfortable. As it did, Naruto was fascinated to see that it had multiple tails. He counted them in his mind. " _seven…eight…nine….nine tails….NINE TAILS_ " The Kyuubi laughed as shock registered on Naruto's face, but was surprised when he didn't make any move to back away.

 _ **Brave little kit, aren't you?**_ He said. Naruto just shrugged.

"I'm dead, or close enough to not matter. What else could you do to me?" The Kyuubi laughed at that, and Naruto's answering smile was genuine.

 _ **Not a bad outlook kit, figure out the important points and discard the rest. You're not going to die yet, though**_ Naruto looked at him confused. _**Didn't you wonder why you were here? I'm sealed inside you by that tattoo on your stomach. Nice piece of work, your father really was a genius with those things. Anyways, if you die, I die. And even though I can reincarnate it hurts like nothing else in the world. I've done it once, and don't want to do it again.**_ Naruto almost leapt forward at the mention of his father.

"You knew my father!? What was he like?" The look the Kyuubi gave him was exasperated.

 _ **Priorities kit. I'm patching up your body as fast as I can, but I'm limited in how much I can do from in here. I can give you chakra, but**_ **you** _ **are the one that needs to direct it.**_ Naruto settled down, but vowed to get everything the Kyuubi knew about his father from the furball. Somehow.

"But what can I do? He already dodged my chains, and if I make any more they won't be long enough to reach him." Naruto asked plaintively. The smile the Kyuubi gave him was positively wicked. _**Kid, with as much chakra as I'm going to feed into you, you'll have chains coming out of so many places you won't know what to do with them. Just feed the chakra into your chains, and take the bastard down. Now get going, I've got work to do and you've got a jackass to terrify.**_

Naruto was just about to ask how to get back to his body when the jail around him started fading. As he disappeared from view, the Kyuubi stared at the spot he'd been standing in.

 _ **Another fucking chain user. Maybe if I keep this one happy he'll set me free when he dies…..and maybe he'll fix this dump up before that!**_

 **Real World**

Naruto opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the shocked face of the girl he'd been trying to save. She had tears running down her face, but had apparently been so surprised by his survival that she'd stopped crying temporarily. " _She's got no pupils…cool"_ He thought to himself. His body felt stronger than he could ever remember it feeling before, even with the pain from the kunai stuck in his chest. With a wet sound the kunai was pushed out of his chest, and a second later the wound healed. Even though he'd seen it happen, Naruto almost couldn't believe it.

A small surprised sound drew his head up, and he saw the Kumo shinobi staring at him in shock. "How.." the man started, but before he could finish Naruto was on his feet between the man and the girl. "I don't know how you survived" he said, "But you're more trouble than your bloodline is worth."

The man made several hand signs, and Naruto tensed. He'd seen shinobi practicing techniques before in the training grounds, and they could do everything from making you seem invisible to literally melting portions of the earth. As the Kumo ninja finished his signs, he pointed his hand at Naruto, and a bolt of lightning arced from his palm. Naruto did the only thing he could think of and unleashed as many chains as he could. Unlike the normal 5-6 chains he normally got when he tried this, dozens of chains formed a barrier between the man and the two children. The bolt of lightning impacted on the semi-translucent chains, and Naruto was momentarily blinded by the explosion. As it cleared, the Kumo nin was already moving, not expecting his first attack to be completely blocked. He frowned as he saw the chains surrounding Naruto, and then began to make more hand signs.

Naruto knew that if he let the man continue throwing techniques like that, eventually one would get through his chains, so he went on the offensive like any cornered animal would. The chains uncoiled and shot toward the shinobi, chasing him as he tried to dodge. They weren't staying in one stable chain, either; new chains branched from the sides of existing chains as he dodged, making dozens of cuts appear from close calls. Naruto was no longer consciously controlling the chains, simply allowing instinct to take over. The Kumo ninja was in good shape, and had a large amount of experience, but with one arm out of commission from Naruto's first attack and the chain's endless attacks it was only a matter of time. A chain managed to spear his right calf, and with the loss of mobility another hit his left thigh. As he raised good arm to try and destroy the chains with a kunai, another chain speared his bicep. He was now immobile in a forest of chains, all of them pointing their sharp ends toward him.

Naruto was breathing heavily now, not only from the exertion of the fight but also with the effort of keeping himself from killing the Kumo nin. The new strength flooding his system wasn't just making him more powerful, it was making it more difficult to control himself. He wanted to send his chains into the Kumo man's chest, wanted to see his blood spill out and watch as the light left his eyes. The chains were almost shaking with the effort of the opposing desires, as Naruto fought to impose his humanity over the savage instincts. Finally, after a subjective eternity, the chains fell back and then dissolved into mist. The Kumo nin fell heavily to the ground, all four limbs crippled. Naruto moved spared a glance to make sure the man wasn't moving, and then turned to the girl bound beside him.

He first removed the rest of the sack from around her, and then freed her hands and feet. Lastly, he removed her gag.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, worried that one of his chains or the lightning bolt might have inadvertently hurt her. She nodded rapidly, and then spoke.

"Um…th-thank you. Are you a-alright?" She asked, looking at his chest where he'd been stabbed. Smooth skin was all that showed through the hole in his ragged shirt, and he shrugged.

"I'm fine, I heal fast" Naruto could almost swear he heard a vulpine snort from deep inside his mind. The girl looked like she was going to argue, then simply asked "Who are you?"

Naruto considered lying to her, but decided there wasn't much harm in telling her. It wasn't like they couldn't piece together who he was from a description, and he'd have to move to a new cubby after this anyways to avoid detection.

"Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto" He answered, holding out his hand. The girl hesitated a moment, then took his hand.

"Hyuuga Hinata" She said timidly. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Naruto froze as he heard someone crashing through the forest.

"Whoops, gotta go!" He said, shooting a chain out of his hand and into the treetops. He turned his head to shout to Hinata as he was pulled away. "Nice to meet you Hinata! Good luck!" She disappeared from his view, and he bolted to his cubby as fast as he could. He was always ready to move in case he was found by Konoha ninja, but it was still a pain. It took him only a few minutes to reach his hideaway, and he grabbed the discarded pack he'd "borrowed" from one of the training fields. Inside was his collection of weapons and scrolls, along with some interesting shells and rocks he'd found.

As he turned to leave the cubby, Naruto put a hand to the carvings of his "parents". "I'm heading out Dad, Mom. I'll bring you with me as soon as I can" he promised. His first project after finding a new safe spot would be to recreate his "family". Valuables gathered, he ran into the forest and away from that section of Konoha.

Hizashi was running through the forest as fast as possible, completely disregarding stealth in favor of speed. The fake ambassador had an almost twenty minute head start on them, and if they didn't catch up soon they would lose the trail. He shuddered at the thought of what would happen to his niece then, forced to bear a line of children for Kumo to use. Just over four miles from the main wall of Konoha, he stopped in a small clearing. He could see his niece sitting on the ground, but that wasn't what caused him to pause.

The clearing around her looked like a war zone. There as a crater in the middle, several kunai lying around, and puncture marks _everywhere_ , including in the Kumo ninja he'd been searching for. The air was saturated in chakra, and it seemed as if whatever technique had been used had created a large number of sharp objects and fired them all over the clearing. Although he couldn't see any injuries on Hinata other than a few small bruises, the Kumo ninja had at least 4 major puncture wounds, and dozens of minor cuts.

Shaking himself out of his momentary shock, Hizashi ran over to Hinata. "Are you all right?" He asked her hurriedly. She looked up at him, and simply nodded. " _Shock_ " Hizashi thought. "What happened?" He hesitated, but had to ask. "Did you do that" he pointed to the injured kidnapper. Hinata blushed and shook her head rapidly.

"N-no. That was Naruto-kun" she said firmly. Hizashi's eyebrows rose in confusion. He didn't know of any active shinobi named Naruto, much less one skilled enough to take down a jonin.

"Who is Naruto?" He asked. If anything, Hinata's blush deepened.

"The one who saved me and defeated the bad man." Hizashi sighed. As well-spoken as she normally was, Hinata was still only five and a half years old. The mystery of "Naruto-kun" wouldn't be solved that easily, at least not until they got the Kumo ambassador to a Yamanaka. He made a shadow clone to carry the kidnapper back to Konoha, then picked up Hinata and put the bindings that had been used on her in the sack for evidence. Sparing the clearing one last glance, he headed back towards the village. Whoever "Naruto" was, he owed him a great deal of gratitude. This night could have ended far worse.

 **Hokage's office, the next day**

"You're sure it was him?" Hiruzen asked. Inoichi nodded.

"I'm sure. He looks a little different, but anyone living in the woods for over a year is bound to look less than sophisticated. And those were definitely the adamantine chains. The only thing I don't get is the sheer _number_ of them. If I remember correctly, even Kushina-san could only make about twelve or so. He had to have made at least five times that number, not counting the sub-chains he split off." Inoichi was impressed despite himself. After all, it wasn't every day a five year old managed to take down a jonin.

"It's possible the stress of a life or death situation allowed him to tap some hidden reserves." Hiruzen said. He purposefully avoided mentioning the Kyuubi. Inoichi, like all of the council members, knew of Naruto's "prisoner", but the less attention drawn to it the better. Inoichi nodded, then continued.

"So what do we do? Kumo isn't going to be happy to have their ambassador caught red-handed at bloodline theft, and the council already knows most of what happened last night." Hiruzen nodded tiredly, and then looked at Inoichi. He hated secrets.

"Alter the report. The man who took down the ambassador was a 15-16 year old woman wearing an Iwa headband, that's what the report will say. We will claim it was an opportunistic plot to start tensions between our nations." Inoichi bowed his head.

"And how do we deal with the Hyuuga heir claiming "Naruto-kun" as her savior?"

"She's five" Hiruzen said shortly. "Five year olds are prone to misremembering events or plain fabrication. It is imperative that Naruto not be credited a kill at this juncture, especially against a jonin. You know as well as I do that the council would call for his immediate retrieval and execution." Inoichi was never one of those who equated Naruto with his burden, but as a council member he knew well how bloodthirsty they could be in regards to the young blond. He hesitated though.

"What about Naruto?" He asked. "He's obviously still out there, and I doubt he's moved too far from Konoha. If we can find him, we should. It's dangerous out there on your own." Hiruzen looked down, still burdened by the guilt he felt over Naruto's disappearance almost two years ago.

"I'll send Inu and Cat. They already know most of his capabilities, and they watched over him when he was younger. It's possible that he might trust them enough to believe their intentions are good if they find him." Inoichi looked as if he was going to argue, but Hiruzen continued. " He's already managed to evade patrols for almost two years. If I send a large force after him he'll probably notice it from miles away and either hole up, in which case we'll probably never find him, or run farther, in which case someone _else_ might find him. Cat is good at her job, and Inu is one of my best trackers. They can do this."

Inoichi nodded once, and left the office. Hiruzen sighed again, and looked at the picture of Minato that adorned the wall next to the other Hokages'.

"Be safe Naruto." He whispered.

 **Hyuuga Compound**

Night was a quiet time in the Hyuuga compound. With the majority of the clan firmly subscribing to the notion of Hyuuga sophistication and superiority, any attempt at rowdy behavior at night would be swiftly discouraged.

Inside of her room, Hinata was getting ready for bed. Her bruises were still slightly visible, but liberal application of healing creams and rest had helped soften them from ugly purple blotches to faint yellowish discolorations. As she slid between the sheets, she looked out of her window towards the forests outside the Hyuuga compound.

"Good night, Naruto-kun" She whispered, already falling asleep. She was a little worried about nightmares of kidnapping, but knew that if they came she'd be protected by a blond boy surrounded by chains.

 **In the forest surrounding Konoha**

It had taken Naruto the better part of a day to travel far enough that he felt safe, moving almost a quarter of the circumference of Konoha in his flight. Once again, he'd created a cubby for himself in an old tree, and was safe and secure in his new hideout. He'd immediately begun re-carving his "family", and the new versions were more realistic. As the stars twinkled above the forest, he looked over at his family.

"Goodnight, everyone" He murmured sleepily. In the fading light, he could almost imagine they were smiling back at him. His last sight before sleep claimed him was of his family. His "father" stood tallest, and Naruto had modeled him after himself. His mother was shorter, and her hair was longer. Naruto's limited carving skills meant she wasn't very feminine looking, but he did the best he could. Lastly, a little off to the side was a new carving. A small girl with large eyes looked down over him. As he drifted off into sleep, his dreams were filled with memories of a shy girl and a never-ending forest.

A/N

This is my first fanfiction, and I mostly write to keep the ideas from just bouncing around inside my head. Any constructive criticism is appreciated, but please try and be somewhat objective with it. Arbitrary flaming will just be ignored.


	2. Chapter 1: The Path's We Take

**To everyone who took the time to review my first chapter, thank you! It means a lot to me, and your reviews and messages gave me some good ideas, especially you Roboguy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If i did, the Sharingan would be less godlike, because it gets boring to constantly say "Oh yeah, it also has THIS power to counter your hard work and genius!"**

 **Chapter 1**

Konoha was a village based on order. Originally founded amidst the chaos of the warring clans era, it was conceived as a refuge from the constant uncertainty that plagued the ninja of that time. It was created in stages: At first nothing more than an area commonly occupied by the Senju and Uchiha clans, then a fortified town that drew more clans from the surrounding area, and finally a bustling village with both shinobi and civilian aspects. As shinobi from multiple clans came together, the need for a formalized ranking system to measure their relative skills was realized. It was relatively simple: Genin at the bottom, then Chunin, the Jonin, then Kage at the top. From the ranks of Chunin and Jonin, the ANBU chose the most promising, forming their elite corps for the good of the village. It could be said, therefore, that an ANBU Jonin was the best of the best, a shinobi honed into the most refined weapon possible.

Currently, two of these refined weapons were being outwitted by a five year old.

"It's been almost 3 months." Cat complained. It was raining again, and she liked being wet no more than her namesake. "3 months of searching Konoha from top to bottom. How do we even know he's still out here?"

Inu simply shrugged and replied "You heard the Hokage. He was still here when Kumo tried to kidnap the Hyuuga heiress. If he'd hung around that long, there's no reason to suspect that he's moved on. These forests provide him with food, water, and shelter if that cubby hole we found is anything to go by." They'd found the little hideaway two weeks into their search by sheer chance, when Inu had noticed a series of marks in the bark of the tree from Naruto's chains. "Why leave when you have everything you need?" Cat huffed at him

"That's another thing. That damn cubby was almost fifty feet up in the air! We can't search the entire forest _up and down_ every tree. Hell, the entire ANBU couldn't do that in thirty years." It wasn't that Inu couldn't understand her frustration. He, too, wished that they could just find the boy and get back to more important things. A small part of him, however, was impressed at how thoroughly the boy had managed to evade two trained ANBU. If he was this good at stealth now, how would he be with some decent training? It was a scary thought.

"Well we know he's not here, so that's a start. And we don't have to search every tree from top to bottom, just look for the marks on the lowest branches like last time. We'll find him eventually." He motioned, and they moved towards the next search grid. 15 down, 200 more to go.

High in the trees above them, Naruto smiled to himself. It was irritating on some level to have to hide from two active seekers in what he considered his home, but the constant evasion was keeping his mind occupied and his senses sharp. At first he'd stayed as far away from the two as possible, keeping to the higher parts of the treetops to avoid being seen. As days turned to weeks and, eventually, months, Naruto turned it into a sort of game. He would follow them around, getting closer and closer, seeing how close he could get before they noticed him. A few times it had seemed like they'd sensed his presence, but so far he'd managed to reel himself back and avoid discovery through either skill or luck.

His true lucky break, however, had been overhearing a conversation between the two about how they'd found his previous home. He'd never thought about the marks his chains caused, nor how they could be used to track him down. Ever since that day he'd religiously avoided using the lower branches as anchor points, and kept to the canopy as much as possible. He know that, fast though he was, he'd never be able to outrun trained shinobi if they found his trail, so he was careful not to leave marks where they could be seen from the ground. It meant a little more effort to extend his chains higher, but the practice was good for him and the safety was worth it.

While his game of hide and seek was an entertaining pass-time, Naruto had begun to spend less and less time in the deeper parts of the forest, instead choosing to spend the majority of his free time observing the practice fields used by Konoha's shinobi. What had started out as a way to pass the time had quickly morphed into an obsession after he had stumbled across a ninja practicing fire jutsu. Watching a seemingly ordinary human breathe fire or sink into the earth like a mole was endlessly fascinating to watch, even if Naruto had no idea how it was done. While he had not, as of yet, figured out how the hand movements were connected to the jutsu's final results, he could watch them practice with their weapons and taijutsu stances and try to mimic them.

Over the last few months he'd switched "targets" several times, but only his latest had held his interest consistently for longer than a week or two. He'd originally found the training ground by accident as he traveled farther than normal in his search for edible berries and nuts in the forest. The rapid *thunk* sound of kunai hitting wood had drawn him forward, and finally ended at a training field nearly a mile away from any other. There, he'd seen something that had staggered him, had led to him returning every day for nearly three weeks now. The person training at the field was a boy, no older than 12, with dark hair and stark features. The boy had been standing so still that Naruto almost hadn't realized he was there until he exploded into motion. In a series of movements Naruto was unable to follow, the boy threw several kunai. The first was deflected by the ones throw after, and the path of the blade seemed to curve entirely _around_ a tree. When the boy finally allowed the kunai to sink into the tree, it was in the dead center of a target that Naruto had failed to notice.

Naruto had, at this point, seen many amazing things. Lightning being called to people's hands, water forming into giant dragons, even techniques that turned the earth itself against an enemy, but none of the people he'd seen perform those techniques had shown the same level of _commitment_ , of absolute concentration Naruto saw here. The only thing that came close was the time Naruto had watched a fox hunting in the woods. There was the same level of dedication, where the _only_ thing that mattered was the going in front of you. This boy seemed to put that level of dedication into everything he did, and Naruto was drawn towards it like a moth to flame. So for the last three weeks Naruto had watched him and tried to imitate what he did, not realizing that his young mind had latched onto the boy as a role model, someone that he, who had nobody, could model himself after.

It took Naruto less than fifteen minutes to get to the training ground from where he'd been watching Cat and Inu, and though it was still hours before midday he could see that the boy had already been training for some time. As he settled down on a medium-height branch, he watched the boy attempt something new. As he watched, the boy's form seemed to waver slightly, growing indistinct and distorted. This continued for several seconds, until the boy's body dissolved into a number of crows that scattered around the clearing. For a moment Naruto was shocked, frantically looking around and wondering if the boy was alright. He let out a small breath of relief as the boy reappeared in the clearing not far from where he'd disappeared in a flock of crows, now panting slightly. After a moment he straightened, wiping sweat from above his forehead protector, and took a stance. Naruto leaned forward slightly, excited to see what he would do next. The boy made the same flicking motion with his hand Naruto had come to recognize over the last three weeks, and kunai blurred away from him. Unfortunately for Naruto, it was only as the kunai slammed into the tree bark an inch to the right of his head that he noticed the boy was no longer standing in the field. He froze, and was about to bolt when he felt something cold and sharp against his neck.

"I have some questions for you" came an emotionless voice from behind him, "and I think it's in your best interests to answer them truthfully."

-X-X-X-X-X-X

Uchiha Itachi was never the most sociable person. A pacifist by nature, he had been pressured by his family to live up to his status as the heir to a ninja family for his entire life, and had withdrawn from others when it became obvious that they did not share his aversion to violence. The Uchiha were the best, his family maintained, and therefore above petty things like worrying about the damage you caused your opponent or how your actions would influence other's lives. After all, if they weren't Uchiha, why did they matter? Except they did, to Itachi, and this made any interaction with his family…..complicated.

Training had been an escape for him, his rising skill used as a deterrent so that he didn't have to participate in the violence he so abhorred. Despite his fearsome reputation, he hadn't had to kill anyone on a mission in almost 2 years, preferring to simply avoid bloodshed if possible, and attack to incapacitate if forced. Inside the Uchiha compound, his reputation managed to keep him from being challenged, but had furthered his isolation until there was really only 2 Uchiha who looked at him as a person and not a weapon. Combine this with his naturally quiet demeanor, and Itachi became the kind of living ghost that most people avoided, a silent warrior that made people uncomfortable just by existing in their vicinity. Itachi, true to his nature, had chosen a training ground far away from the normal bustle of the village where he could keep to himself and hone his skills away from the fearful eyes of the villagers.

His training grounds had served him well, as his recent appointment to the ANBU corps could attest, and he constantly pushed himself. Out here he could forget all the disagreements with the clan, the awe-filled gazes of the villagers, and simply concentrate on the joy of honing a skill to perfection, on overcoming a challenge and becoming stronger for the achievement. So it had confused him greatly when, starting a week and a half ago, he no longer felt the normal serenity that made his isolated training ground so important to his state of mind. Confused, he'd pushed himself harder and harder, hoping it was simply a passing feeling, but it had persisted through everything, making him uneasy in what had been a sanctuary. Finally he had forced himself to look at the problem from another angle. As far as he knew, there had been no change in _him_ , and if he hadn't changed then his surroundings had. Since his main reason for being all the way out in the woods was solitude, it followed that an intruder would cause his uneasiness.

Itachi's plan to catch the intruder was simple: Wait until he began to feel uncomfortable in the training field, then use an area-wide genjutsu and see if anyone reacted to it. As he'd cast the technique, he heard a slight sound of surprise coming from one of the trees that surrounded the training ground, a quick look with his sharingan activated had allowed him to make out the chakra network of a hidden figure. Not reacting to the presence, he'd taken his stance, and flung several kunai out in a deflection pattern. As soon as the last blade left his hand, he'd quickly shunshinned behind the figure, reflexively pointing a kunai at the carotid. He was surprised at how small the figure was from behind, but ninja were rarely what they seemed and more dangerous things had come in smaller packages.

"I have some questions for you" he intoned emotionlessly "and I think it's in your best interests to answer them truthfully."

And that was when everything went to hell.

Itachi was a master of the sharingan, and one of the most skilled ninja in Konoha. Chakra allowed ninja to do many amazing things, and he'd become somewhat jaded to the bizarre. But seeing several thick pointed chains burst from the small figure in front of him without any hand signs or visible chakra molding nearly shook him. The fact that those chains were nearly invisible to the sharingan, even a fully matured one like his, pushed him over the threshold. He was too well trained to be caught flat-footed, even shocked as he was, but it was surprisingly difficult to dodge the initial explosion of chains. As each chain exploded outwards in a straight line, numerous small side chains burst from the links in even intervals. The combination of the surprising nature of the attack and the nearly invisible state of the chains forced Itachi to move back, reflexively dodging the projectiles, and stare in shock at the figure that had been spying on him for the last several weeks.

His first thought was that it was an Inuzuka. He had the feral demeanor of one of the ninken users, and his ragged appearance suggested an animalistic approach to hygiene. But closer inspection showed major differences: While the Inuzuka could rarely be bothered with niceties like repairing a worn patch on a jacket or pants, the clothes the boy was wearing were clearly past the worn stage and into complete destruction. His pants barely came below the knees, and he seemed to be wearing a short vest that was all that remained of an orange jacket. He was barefoot, and his feet had a leathery texture to them, easily gripping the rough tree bark without discomfort. But it was the face that held Itachi's attention. Long reddish-blonde hair fell just above his shoulders framing a face almost identical to one Itachi had not seen in nearly six years.

" _The color is wrong, but he looks just like the Yondaime!"_ The thought was so unexpected that Itachi nearly lost his grip on the branch he was standing on, staring at the figure as if seeing a ghost. The Yondaime had visited the academy several times during Itachi's tenure there, sometimes teaching and sometimes observing others teach; Kakashi and Kushina being the two he showed up with most often. Seeing the boy shift his weight in preparation to flee, Itachi made a quick judgment call: taijutsu was ill advised with those chains curving around him like the heads of a hydra, and ninjutsu would most likely cause more damage than he wanted. His decision was inevitable. He caught the boy's eyes again, startlingly blue eyes meeting red, and a quick hand sign initiated the illusion technique. Itachi watched as the boy's eyes dilated, then closed. The boy, no longer holding himself to the branch, fell downwards, but Itachi caught him easily and brought him safely to the forest floor.

Itachi looked at the boy, his face unreadable. He'd rarely been presented with such a mystery: Why had the boy been spying on him? What were the chains he'd seen, and why didn't they register correctly to the sharingan? Why did he feel as if he'd seen them somewhere before? And, most importantly, why was someone who looked eerily like the most beloved leader in Konoha's history wandering round in the forest, ALONE, looking more like a cave-dwelling savage than a human being? Nothing was adding up, and Itachi was beginning to suspect that the only one who could answer those questions was the boy currently unconscious on the ground next to him. As he looked up at the sky, Itachi sighed quietly. " _Why is it that the more I try to live a quiet life, the more fate seems to enjoy playing with me?"_ No answer was forthcoming from the floating clouds, and Itachi looked at the boy once more. Sighing again, he sat down next to the boy to wait for him to wake up. " _Today was supposed to clear up the questions, not multiply them…."_

-X-X-X-X-

Naruto came awake all at once, used to going from sleep to fully awake quickly from his time living in the forest. You couldn't catch food or chase off foxes sniffing around your home if you had to spend ten minutes rubbing the sleep from your eyes, and it was a lesson he'd learned quickly. His only problem was he couldn't remember going to sleep, and this was definitely _not_ his nice cubby hole in the tree. He only had to wonder for a second before his memory kicked back in, including his last memory of swirling red eyes. He whipped quickly to his feet, two chains reflexively extending from his lower back, and looked around quickly. The same boy he'd been watching for so long was seated no more than three or four yards away, staring at him. Naruto kept himself in a defensive crouch, but made sure to keep his eyes away from the boy's eyes, remembering how easily he'd been captured before. He waited for some sign that the boy would attack as he had before, but none came. He simply watched Naruto, not moving, and waited.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Itachi had been surprised at how quickly the boy had gone from completely asleep to fully alert, but now he was faced with a conundrum. The boy was extremely wary of him, and unless he wanted to continually knock him the boy out those chains would make things difficult. If he wanted to get answers to any of his questions, he had to find a way of gaining the boys trust, at least a little, and that would be difficult with someone as wary as he obviously was. He had just decided the best way was to try and talk to the boy and see if he was able to get some information when he heard the boy's stomach growl loudly. At first Itachi didn't recognize the sound, but the boy in front of him shrank lower into a crouch, and a slight blush colored his face. Itachi almost laughed out loud, and a small smile did manage to make its way onto his face. He reached back to get a ration bar out of one of the pouches on his waste, but stopped as the chains pointed toward him began to wave back and forth like snakes. Interestingly, without his sharingan active he could see them perfectly well.

" _Another mystery to add to the list"_ He thought.

Moving extremely slowly so as to not startle his quarry even more, Itachi pulled a ration bar out his pack and showed it to the boy. He wasn't sure that the boy recognized it, but he wasn't running or attacking which Itachi took as a good sign. Keeping his expression neutral, he lightly tossed the bar at the boy. Blindingly quick, one of the chains speared the bar some four feet away from his body, holding it there. The boy looked at it suspiciously, and a third chain snaked from behind his back to poke the bar. With surprising dexterity he sliced the wrapper from the bar and examined it closely.

"It's food" Itachi said. The boy jumped slightly, and Itachi was worried he would bolt for a second. Itachi slowly brought another ration bar from the same pouch and unwrapped it, then took a bite. The boy watched him chew and swallow, then gingerly brought his captured bar up to mimic Itachi. He chewed slowly, but seemed calmer now. Itachi took another bite, and watched as the boy began to devour the bar.

" _He doesn't look too malnourished, but nobody would let their child wander around in the forests out here, much less in clothes like that. He's obviously been on his own for a while…"_ Itachi mused as they ate in silence. He was surprised that someone so young could survive on their own for so long, but decided the chains would be a big advantage in the forest. As they both finished their ration bars, Itachi was glad to see that instead of a defensive crouch, the boy looked more curious now. He decided that he'd probably built up a bit of goodwill with the gift of food, and spoke.

"What is your name?" Itachi asked. The boy seemed confused for a second, and then croaked out "Naruto". His voice was scratchy and hesitant, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time. It further validated Itachi's theory that he'd been alone for a long time.

"I'm Itachi" He introduced himself. He watched as Naruto tried to pronounce his name several times, finally seeming to grow comfortable with it.

"Were you the one watching me for the last few weeks Naruto?" Itachi watched as Naruto's face drew in on itself, and his eyes began to whip back and forth, as if looking for a path to run. "I'm not mad Naruto, just curious" Itachi said. Naruto nodded timidly, still looking uncomfortable.

"Why?" Itachi asked, genuinely curious. If he was trying so hard to remain unseen, why spend time spying on a shinobi, the one type of person most likely to notice. Naruto reached around his back, and pulled two worn kunai from his back pocket. Itachi went on high alert, although he was outwardly unchanged. Naruto turned toward a tree, still keeping Itachi in his field of vision, and threw the kunai, one after the other. The second kunai hit the first and threw it off course, causing it to hit a tree handle-first.

" _He was trying to learn the deflection technique!?"_ Itachi thought, shocked. The technique was difficult even for him, and widely regarded as impossible for anyone without a sharingan. Than he managed a rudimentary deflection at his age, even if it hadn't worked correctly, was amazing. He noticed the scowl on Naruto's face, and watched as he pulled out two more kunai and repeated the throw. This time the deflected kunai landed point-first, although it only penetrated a small way into the bark. Itachi stood, shocked. He had never thought that someone without the sharingan would be able to manage the calculations required for a deflection, much less from simply observing someone else do the technique! He watched as Naruto used one of his chains to retrieve the fallen kunai and tucked them back into his pocket, looking more satisfied now that he'd gotten at least some success with the kunai.

"Where did you learn to throw kunai like that? Did your family teach you?" Itachi asked, curious now. He immediately regretted his question when he saw Naruto draw in on himself again. He cursed at himself silently. If he was related to the Yondaime, an orphan, his family was probably dead. It was the most likely explanation for why a boy with an obvious bloodline was alone in the woods, especially in a village like Konoha that practically worshipped those with a Kekkei Genkai. Uncharacteristically ashamed of himself, he tried awkwardly to apologize.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I know many people who've lost their family, it's very difficult." It was even true. Death was common in the ninja world, and almost every active Konoha shinobi had lost family in the line of duty. He was surprised when Naruto looked at him sharply.

"I have a family!" he exclaimed. Itachi watched warily as one of the two chains hovering around Naruto began scratching at the ground. "See!" Naruto said. "My family." Itachi moved slowly, and Naruto backed away slightly as he came closer. Itachi looked down to see two crude drawings in the dirt of a man and a women standing side by side. The man was labeled "Minato" and the woman "Kushina", with a small picture to the side of a boy with chains coming out of him labeled "Naruto".

Itachi reeled back slightly as the pieces clicked into place. He remembered where he'd seen those chains before! One of his last lectures at the academy before the Kyuubi attack had been on Kekkei Genkai and their use in the ninja world. It had included basic introductions on all of Konoha's main bloodlines, but part of the lesson had been taught by Kushina Uzumaki and focused on always being wary of unknown bloodlines. She'd emphasized the point by manifesting several chains that had quickly bound another instructor before fading. He'd only seen them for a second, and never with the sharingan active, but he was sure of it! And if he had inherited her bloodline _and_ his father's name was Minato, with his appearance….. Itachi could feel a large headache building. The most powerful ninja Konoha had produced since Hashirama Senju had had a son with one of the most skilled Jonin in the village and inherited her bloodline, and nobody knew! Not only that, but he lived in the woods like a savage!

"Again, I'm sorry Naruto. I didn't mean to imply that you had no family." He said slowly. This would require delicate handling. "Naruto, how long have you and your family been in the forest?" Itachi asked. If he could get some sort of timeline, he could begin to figure out what had led to this. Naruto frowned.

"Don't know" He said, shrugging. "I was four, it was a long time ago". If what Naruto was saying was true, he'd been in the woods for around two years on his own. That he'd survived at all, much less remained unseen was an amazing feat. Now came the important question. Naruto had seemed open enough to Itachi after he'd fed him, but Itachi knew this was treading into sensitive territory. If any subject would scare him off, this would be it, but it was too important to ignore.

"Why did you go into the forest Naruto? Why not stay in Konoha?" As Itachi had feared, Naruto began to pull inward. His knees came up to his chest, and the chains wrapped around him until he seemed cocooned. Itachi was about to say something, to try and break him out of his fugue, when he heard Naruto answer.

"They tried to kill me." It was almost a whisper, but the sheer amount of despair in his voice reminded Itachi of the first time he'd had to kill in combat. It was the kind of soul-deep pain that stayed with you, buried but always there.

"He tried to kill me, but my chains killed him instead. So I went to the woods. I'm free there." Itachi caught the phrasing, and immediately began to piece together a possible scenario.

" _He killed someone in self-defense with his Kekkei Genkai, and was so scared of what the village would do that he abandoned it entirely."_ Itachi had seen the kind of snap judgments the civilians could make. If a bloodline user was seen killing civilians it would be bad, but why would a civilian try to kill a four year old? He needed more information, and a look at the village records, but he wasn't sure what to do with Naruto. He wasn't truly comfortable with sending him back into the woods by himself, even though he'd been surviving quite well out there, but until he figured out why someone with his lineage was attacked, and by whom, it wasn't safe for him to come into the village. Finally Itachi decided that leaving Naruto to live on his own as he had been was the lesser of two evils, and less likely to get him hurt. He turned to Naruto, moving to within a meter or so of the boy. He was wary of coming closer due to the chains, and was relieved when he saw Naruto looked up.

"If he tried to kill you first, then it was self-defense" Itachi began. "You are allowed to protect yourself, Naruto, even if the person attacking you doesn't have a bloodline. In a fight for your life, fair is whatever lets you win." He saw Naruto muddle over the words in his mind.

"I need to go take care of some things; will you come back here in, say, three days? I can bring you some food, maybe some new clothes." Naruto looked down at the tattered remains of his clothes, and shrugged. He liked having someone to talk to, even if Itachi did ask some uncomfortable things. It was still better than the silence, and that Itachi had had the chance to capture him and didn't made Naruto's trust in him rise greatly. He nodded to Itachi, and then extended one of his chains to catch a branch in one of the trees surrounding the clearing.

Itachi watched Naruto move through the trees using his chains, and remembered Naruto's attempt at the deflection technique.

" _He lives in a three-dimensional environment. He must be able to calculate those angles because they're the same ones he uses to move through the trees with his chains. Remarkable"_ Itachi thought as he ran towards the village. He had a whole slew of things to research, and it was already after noon. If he wanted to have some answers by the time he met with Naruto again, he was going to have to work quickly.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Hinata had been waiting outside her mother's room for several hours now, sitting with her uncle as her sister struggled to be born. She had gotten more and more anxious as time went on and her mother remained in labor, and a sense of foreboding had settled over her thoughts as she wrung her hands over and over.

"Is it supposed to take this long?" She finally asked her uncle. She knew it was something her father would have considered "inappropriate", not keeping with the traditional Hyuuga stoicism, but she was past caring.

"It's different for each baby" Hizashi said, a reassuring smile on his face. "When Neji was born, my wife was in labor for almost nine hours, while you were only a four hour labor. Have faith in your mother, she's stronger than you know."

Hinata knew her mother was strong, but they had been outside for so long without even the slightest word. Her mother had gone into the room around noon, and it was well into the darkest part of the night now. Finally her fidgeting seemed to get to Hizashi, who stood up and turned to her.

"Tell you what, I'll go see if there's been any change and maybe see about you getting a chance to see your mother, ok?" Hinata nodded gratefully. Anything to break up the endless waiting.

Hizashi opened the door to her mother's room and slipped inside silently. Hinata waited nervously for any word, still worried despite her uncle's assurances. Suddenly, the door to the room burst open and a shape dashed out. Hinata could barely make out the form of her uncle before he accelerated away, and she heard raised voices through the open door, their frantic tones causing Hinata's panic to rise.

She was nearly frantic when, not five minutes later, Hizashi rushed back into the room with a man in a doctor's white coat. The door slammed shut behind them, and Hinata stared at it in shock. She didn't know how long she'd been staring in a daze for when the door opened, but the sight beyond the doorway shocked her. Her normally reserved father had her uncle in a tight hug, and Hinata could hear his repeated thanks from out in the hallway. Hizashi managed to extract himself from his brother's embrace, and walked over to Hinata.

"What happened?" She asked. Hizashi gave her a tight smile.

"There were some complications that we almost didn't catch in time, but your mother and sister are fine. Would you like to come see them?" Hinata nodded eagerly. She followed her uncle into the room, passing by her father. He looked more exhausted than she'd ever seen him before, his eyes dropping as he swayed on his feet. He smiled slightly at her as she walked past, the first time in nearly two years she could remember him doing so. She turned to the bed to look at her new sister, and was struck at how _tired_ her mother looked. She was paler than normal, and her hair hung limply around her head, accentuating the deep bags under her pupil-less eyes. Despite her obvious exhaustion she had a radiant smile on her face, and she held out a hand to Hinata, who grasped it tightly. In her other arm she held a small sleeping bundle topped by a light smattering of dark hair.

"This is your sister, Hinata. Hanabi, meet your big sister." Hinata looked at the sleeping bundle in her mother's arms and smiled. Her family had just grown by one, and everything was all right.

"Hello Hanabi" She whispered to her sleeping sister.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Itachi had spent the last 10 hours in the restricted section of the Konoha library, and with each report he read through he felt his anger rise. He'd started out with the records of murders from around eighteen months ago, and he'd tracked down the man he thought had tried to kill Naruto relatively quickly. What had surprised him was that the man had been not only an active-duty shinobi, but a chunin! Disregarding the fact that the man had attacked a four year old boy, the fact that he'd been killed was a testament to Naruto's will to survive and the lethal power of his chains.

Itachi's curiosity had been sparked by the seemingly senseless attack, and he began to comb back through the records to see if he could find any precedent for the man's aggression towards Naruto. When he couldn't find any incident reports, he decided to look in a more oblique fashion. He'd begun to search the hospital records to try and track down any previous attacks on Naruto by the chunin, but the glut of information on Naruto sickened him. If he was reading the dates right, Naruto had been to the hospital no less than seventy times in his first four years. His files indicated everything from poisoning to stab wounds, and many of them had apparently happened when Naruto was in his first or second year. That the perpetrators had apparently never been recorded spoke of a vast indifference to Naruto's plight, one Itachi could scarcely comprehend. Why would anyone treat the Yondaime's son like this? More, _how_ could they treat a toddler like this, regardless of whose son he was?

Itachi sat in his room that night, working over the information in his mind, and came to one conclusion: Naruto was not safe in Konoha, at least not as he was. His chains were a large advantage, but he was woefully inexperienced in using them against another human being, and would probably be outmaneuvered by the average chunin. If what Itachi suspected was true, Naruto would be facing a lot more than one chunin if he returned to Konoha. Itachi looked at the wall his room shared with his brother's, and his resolve hardened. If Naruto wasn't safe in Konoha as he was now, he would have to _make_ him strong enough to survive. Naruto had no one else, and Itachi wasn't sure how high the conspiracy against him went. Some of those injuries would have been enough to have the perpetrator executed, and they would have taken _time_ to inflict. That they'd happened repeatedly without catching any of the perpetrators suggested the cover up went high, possibly to the top. No, he couldn't trust anyone but himself with this. When Itachi fell asleep that night, he was already calculating how to best improve Naruto's chances of survival and thus preserve the last living link to one of the greatest heroes Konoha had ever known.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Naruto's second cubby was remarkably similar to his first, constructed in a high tree from a hollowed out point that he'd deepened with his chains. It remained his sanctuary, the one place he felt safe, and was where he kept his greatest treasures. His "family" was also there, and as such he felt an indefinable pull towards it whenever he felt troubled or insecure. His conversation with Itachi had dredged up memories he'd long buried, and as he sat in the dark he spoke quietly to the carvings he thought of as family, trying to clear his mind from the dark memories. It took him several hours to get it all cleared out, but finally he'd decided that the talk with Itachi had done more good than bad. Itachi's vindication of his actions went a long way towards his peace of mind, and when he finally dropped off to sleep he had even managed to convince himself that what he'd done had been at least a little bit the other man's fault. He slept free of the nightmares that normally came when his buried trauma surfaced, snug in his tiny sanctuary.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Itachi waited in the same clearing he'd met Naruto in three days ago, a large backpack in hand. It was almost noon, and he was somewhat worried that Naruto wouldn't show up. The boy had been willing enough to talk to him before, but he was also extremely skittish right now, and it was possible that he would avoid Itachi because of the uncomfortable questions Itachi asked him. It was something Itachi could do nothing about, so he planned for the best and avoided dwelling too much on the alternative. He might have been able to catch Naruto if he could find him, but even an Inuzuka would have trouble tracking someone with Naruto's familiarity with the forest. If he wanted to hide, Itachi would have an extremely tough time tracking him down. It was with a profound sense of relief that Itachi watched Naruto drop from a tree into the clearing, chains retracting behind him. He approached Itachi, but maintained a two meter gap between them. Itachi held up the bag in his hand.

"I brought you some basics. Clothing, food, nothing fancy." He tossed the bag to Naruto, who caught it with his chains.

" _Still doesn't trust me enough catch something from me with his hands, or is it simply more convenient to use the chains?_ " Itachi wondered. He watched Naruto pull out a set of Sasuke's old clothes and look down at his own attire. With a shrug, he pulled off his old top and replaced it with a black t-shirt. His pants followed quickly, replaced with the black shorts. Once Naruto had changed, he looked through the bag's remaining contents and pulled out a kunai, looking at it curiously. He turned to Itachi, looking at him questioningly.

"A gift" Itachi said. "I have an offer for you. I'd like to train you." Naruto frowned. He Itachi could almost see the thoughts in his head as he looked for the hidden catch in the offer. Paranoia was something that most shinobi were not only familiar with, but considered a good habit.

"No catch Naruto. I want you to be able to defend yourself. If you want to spend your life out here, that is your choice. But I would be doing both Konoha and you a disservice if I allowed those who would do you harm to make the choice for you." Itachi said. He was intensely loyal to the village as a whole, even though he was disgusted with what so many of them had apparently done to Naruto. If he could help the village gain a valuable asset and give Naruto the tools he needed to make some choices about his own life, he felt it was his duty as a loyal Konoha shinobi to try.

"You won't make me go back?" Naruto asked after a minute. Itachi could see his indecision, and quickly replied.

"No. It is your choice whether or not you want to live in Konoha or stay out here." Itachi said, and then added "I would never take your freedom from you." He'd had too many of his own choices curtailed to do the same to Naruto unless he absolutely had to. Naruto tilted his head as he heard the last statement. He obviously recognized Itachi's parroting of his own statement from last time, and Itachi hoped it would help his case. Naruto finally nodded.

"Will you teach me to do the red eyes?" He asked. Itachi chuckled slightly at that, shaking his head.

"The "red eyes" are the sharingan, and you have to be born with them. It's like your chains, something only my family can do." Naruto frowned at that, looking at his chains.

"Only I can do this?" He said skeptically. Itachi nodded

"Even if I trained for my entire life, I wouldn't be able to make them. They are a part of you, like your arms and legs. Some people are born with blond hair, or black. You were born with the ability to make those chains, just as I was born with the sharingan. Naruto nodded at that. It made sense, after all. Some people were taller than others, or had different colored skin. Why not something like chains?

Seeing him nod, Itachi pulled out a set of weights out of his own bag and threw them to Naruto. Naruto looked at them, then back to Itachi.

"What do I do with these?" He asked. Itachi looked at him impassively.

"You want to protect your freedom?" Naruto nodded.

"Then put them on. It will not be easy, but if you let me I can make sure nobody forces you into anything you don't want them to ever again." Naruto stood up a little taller at that. He liked his home in the forest, and he was used to it, but he never wanted to be trapped into something again. He remembered how weak he'd felt when he fought the kidnapper, and the terror he'd felt when his chains had first appeared. He reached forward for the weights, and missed Itachi's smile.

 **2 Months Later**

Naruto was never sure if he admired or hated Itachi. He could never pinpoint exactly what made him feel that Itachi took a perverse pleasure in running him into the ground, but he was completely convinced that it was true. Despite that, he also had to admit that he felt better than he ever had in his short life.

At first the weights had been torture. They were apparently the lowest in an increasingly heavy series, but to someone Naruto's size they made up a considerable fraction his body weight. It had been a struggle to even move in them at first, compounded by Itachi having him rely solely on his limbs and not his chains. He claimed it was to build up Naruto's physical strength, but Naruto had grown so reliant on his chains for extra mobility that it felt as if someone had told him to run with only one leg. It had slowly gotten better, but every time Naruto seemed to get used to one set of weights Itachi would add more. Sometimes Naruto had nightmares about a room with endlessly larger weights, presided over by Itachi on a throne made of those weights that Naruto had already mastered. In his nightmares he wasn't allowed to leave until he could do 100 pushups with the entire throne on his back.

In between the basic training with weights, Itachi would teach Naruto about the basics of jutsu. At first Naruto had been excited to learn about that, visions of breathing fire or controlling the earth dancing in his head. Itachi had quickly disabused him of that notion, however, saying that until he could learn to draw chakra stably such things were impossible for him. It had taken Naruto nearly a month to get the proper ratio of physical and spiritual energy down, and he'd been excited for all of thirty seconds before Itachi decided to test him. Itachi had immediately pronounced his control as "the worst I've ever seen", and sat him down with a leaf in his hands. Itachi had him push chakra from his hand until the leaf was pushed off his hand, and told Naruto that he would move no further in jutsu training until he could keep the leaf afloat above his hand constantly for at least five minutes. In the last month the leaves Naruto used had burned, shredded, flown off to embed in trees like tiny razors, and once, inexplicably, actually _exploded_ , but he'd only managed to keep them afloat for three minutes. It was slow, frustrating work, but he was making progress. Itachi pushed him harder than he'd ever worked in his entire life, but Naruto couldn't help but admit that he was starting to see why Itachi trained him the way it did: It worked.

The one place where Naruto could say he was truly excelling was his kunai and shuriken work. He'd practiced for months on his own before meeting Itachi using purloined equipment, but having someone show him the proper way to throw and equipment in top condition instead of warped or rusting castoffs made a huge difference! He still couldn't do more than one deflection accurately, but he could at least get in the same general area with a double deflection, something that Itachi always seemed amazed at. His progress at shuriken and kunai offset his grueling work elsewhere, and kept him enthusiastic despite Itachi's refusal to teach him more advanced jutsu until he completed the leaf floating exercise.

Today was the second day in a row he'd been training by himself, as Itachi had a mission outside the village. Without Itachi there it seemed wrong to use the training grounds, so Naruto was leaping from tree branch to tree branch with his weights on to practice, stopping every once in a while to grab a leaf and practice his chakra exercises. As he approached the westernmost point of his "territory", he stopped. There was a group of three people near the clearing where he'd fought the kidnapper, walking slowly with a large picnic basket in hand. Nearly fifty feet up in the large tree he stopped, grabbing hold of a branch and wrapping his chains around him like a cloak, as was his habit when in the trees. He knew most of the ninja who patrolled the areas around his home by sight after all this time, but the group was dressed in kimonos, and seemed out for nothing other than a picnic. Just as he was about to leave, Naruto caught sight of the shortest person in the group and recognized her. It was Hinata! Naruto turned back, his curiosity taking over now. He had seen her several times as he watched over different parts of Konoha over the last 5 months, but it was the first time he'd seen her come outside the walls of her clan compound. He settled down to watch as the group set up for a picnic, and picked up a leaf to practice his exercises. After all, if he didn't get up to 5 minutes Itachi wouldn't train him in anything cooler!

-X-X-X-X-X-

As Hinata walked through the forest with her mother and uncle towards the spot where she'd been rescued from her kidnapper, she wondered again if Naruto was anywhere around here. The last time she'd seen him, he had leapt off into the forest on those strange chains of his, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was alright. When her mother had suggested a walk outside the compound Hinata, in a rare moment of initiative, had suggested a picnic in the forest. Her mother had initially been wary of going outside the village walls, but her uncle had offered to come along and the area was still well-patrolled. She'd seemed surprised when Hinata had suggested the location for the picnic, but chalked it up to an attempt to overcome the bad memories of the place with good experiences. What she didn't know was that Hinata barely associated the area with her kidnapper at all. The compound was where she'd been taken from, but the clearing was where she'd been rescued, where someone had answered her frantic prayers for salvation. She wanted to come back, but only because it was the last place she'd seen Naruto.

They set up their picnic in the clearing, and Hinata and her mother talked about inconsequential things while Hanabi gurgled happily from her mother's arms. Hizashi stayed standing initially, but after a few minutes acquiesced to Hinata's mother and sat at the edge of the picnic blanket, nibbling on a sandwich as he kept watch. It was a pleasant excursion, but as time went by Hinata began to feel a bit ashamed. She'd come out here, chased someone who probably hadn't thought of her at all since that time, besides thinking of how much trouble she'd been to rescue, and now she'd forced her family to come all the way out here for nothing. She tried to hid her thoughts, but her mother seemed to pick up on the little cues she was giving off.

"Something wrong, Hinata?" She asked. Hinata blushed, and shook her head.

"I-it's nothing, mother" She mumbled. Her mother just smiled gently, and looked at the spot where they'd come upon the Kumo ambassador, pierced by an unknown assailant.

"You know, the memories we try most to get away from are often the ones that follow us the most doggedly." She said, looking back to Hinata. "It's only when we turn and force them into the light that we see their true nature, and can put them away for good." Hinata shook her head slightly. She didn't _want_ to put that memory away for good. It was one of the only times she could remember someone besides her mother acting like she mattered, outside of being a clan heir. Someone had risked themselves to save her life, not even knowing who she was. It was a reminder that there was a world of people outside the clan, people who might not see her as hopelessly weak. Her mother caught the blush creeping up her neck, and her thoughts did a quick 180 as she remembered the other part of the story.

"Or maybe you're not running away from a memory, but chasing one?" She asked slyly. Hizashi looked at her sideways, an amused smile on his lips. He'd always liked Hitomi, but one of her bad habits was her penchant (an obsession, really) for romantic stories. Apparently even her own daughter wasn't entirely safe from her quirk. Hinata's blush crawled up until her entire face was beet red, and her mother laughed.

"Who knows, maybe he's watching over you right now?" Hinata ducked her head in embarrassment as Hanabi giggled in response to her mother's laugh. Hitomi finally took pity on her daughter.

"You'll see him again if the spirits are kind, dear heart." She said to Hinata. She put a hand under her daughters chin and pulled her face up until she could look Hinata in the eyes.

"After all, I have to thank him for saving one of my two precious treasures, don't I?" Hinata nodded shyly.

They packed up their meal, and filed out of the clearing. As she passed back into the forest, Hinata looked back across the clearing to where she'd last seen Naruto leap away. She would later swear that she saw a pair of blue eyes high up in the trees, watching as they walked away.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Itachi walked into the Hokage's office, completed mission scroll in hand. As he handed it to the old man, the Hokage made a motion with his hand and sent the ANBU stationed in the room away. It took only a second for the room to clear, and soon Itachi and the Hokage were the only two left in the room. The Hokage activated the security seals built into the room, and the pressure on Itachi's ears signified the room was sealed to sound.

"Your other mission?" The Hokage asked. Itachi nodded.

"They've been tentatively suggesting an alliance with several of the clans in Suna, and at least one in Kiri that I could find out about." Itachi pulled another scroll from a hidden pocket in his vest and passed it over. "I wasn't able to find out if they had actually managed to secure an alliance with anyone except for the Kiri clan, but they've made inroads with all of the listed groups." The Hokage sighed, looking every one of his sixty one years.

"They're really going through with this, aren't they?" The question was rhetorical, and Itachi didn't answer. The Hokage turned to him.

"Do you know when they plan to carry out the attack?" Itachi nodded.

"It will be sometime in the next 15 months. The equipment that is being stockpiled won't be ready for at least 12 months, so that is the low end of the time scale. I'd plan for 13 months, any more time than that is simply good fortune." Itachi said. The Hokage nodded tiredly.

"Thirteen months to avert the largest catastrophe this village has faced since the Kyuubi attack. Sometimes I hate this job." Itachi could only agree silently. The Hokage was a thankless position, requiring enormous amounts of effort and sacrifice only to see everything you built come constantly under attack, sometimes even from the very people you built it for. The sacrifices demanded by the position were enormous, and Itachi respected the man in front of him immensely for taking up the hat not only once, but twice. The Hokage looked up at him.

"You may go. Keep me informed." Itachi inclined his head in a shallow bow, and exited the office. As he headed back to the Uchiha district, he pondered the problem in front of him. He had thirteen months to change the course of his entire clan, or betray the village he loved in order to follow his family in treason. Sometimes he envied Naruto and his simple life in the forest.

 _Freedom,_ thought Itachi, _is not always about doing what you want when you want. Sometimes it's about choosing the set of shackles you can live with wearing later. Sometimes it's just the ability to live with what you've been forced to do_.

His sleep that night was restless, and he could almost feel the time limit hanging over his head. Thirteen months to make a decision. But how could he make a decision when both options led to an option he wasn't sure he could live with?

-X-X-X-X-X-

For Itachi, the last few months had been both some of the best times of his life and the worst. He still hadn't been able to figure out an acceptable answer to his biggest problem, deciding between his clan and his loyalty to Konoha, but in training Naruto he'd found a simple purpose. It was something he could devote himself wholly to, something that required no subterfuge or agonizingly sleepless nights, for which Itachi was constantly grateful. Even more, Naruto was genuinely fun for Itachi to teach. Unlike his brother, who seemed to focus on being a carbon-copy of Itachi in the hopes of beating him at his own game, Naruto was constantly surprising the stoic Uchiha. He still smiled fondly every time he thought of some of Naruto's more…outlandish attempts as the ninja arts, such as his "copy" of Itachi's own crow-clone technique.

Itachi had been working with Naruto for just over three months, and they had finally gotten around to working on the basic three jutsus. Naruto had shown some aptitude for the substitution technique and the transformation technique, but his clone was, well, abysmal. Itachi had noticed early on that Naruto's chakra reserves were far larger than was normal for someone his age, and while Naruto's control had improved drastically under his tutelage, the basic clone used so little chakra that it was like trying to get a tiny drop of water from a raging fire hose. Itachi had broached the subject of using a different clone technique, one that Naruto would have less trouble with because of its higher chakra cost, and Naruto had taken to it immediately. However when Naruto had asked Itachi about his crow clone, Itachi had explained that only a holder of the crow summoning contract could perform the technique.

Naruto's response the next day had left him temporarily speechless.

They had been working on clone techniques again, and Naruto had picked up the Shadow Clone with a speed that surprised Itachi, even after his previous quick process. He seemed to instinctively understand the jutsu, and his large chakra reserves made it an effective combat modifier for the small boy. Itachi had broken out in a cold sweat as he thought about facing a dozen Narutos, all wielding those transparent chains, but was broken from his reverie by a familiar sight as he saw Naruto break apart in a flock of crows! Itachi instinctively activated his sharingan, assuming it was an illusion, but Naruto was nowhere to be seen. Itachi immediately made a quick series of hand signs and slammed his palm onto the ground, summoning a large crow with a scroll attached to its feet. He grabbed the scroll and opened it, but was greeted only by his own name on the summoning contract.

He stared dumbly at the signature, mind feverishly spinning in circles as he tried to figure out how Naruto had managed to summon crows without a contract, when Naruto walked out from behind a tree with a large smile on his face. At Itachi's gob smacked expression, Naruto had laughed and proceeded to summon a shadow clone. The clone made the hand sign for a basic transformation, and Itachi stared at the clone as it pulled apart in a flock of crows. Now that he was paying attention he noticed the crows disperse into smoke as soon as they spread out, their distance from one another causing too much strain on the transformation for the clone to survive, but it was an effective bluff nonetheless. It was rare for anyone to use any sort of substitution with a clone, so anyone seeing the ruse would assume Naruto had managed to disappear in the same way Itachi himself had!

Such out of the box thinking was, as Itachi had learned, simply the way Naruto's mind worked. He had been on his own for so long that he'd never built up the same assumptions and preconceptions that most of Konoha's shinobi had, either from the academy or their family training, so he simply didn't know when something couldn't be done. Itachi himself had adapted some of Naruto's more practical ideas, like using clones as substitution targets or substituting with stationary objects as a sort of bastardized shunshin, and he had garnered interest amongst several of his ANBU colleagues with his unorthodox methods. Even his best friend Shisui had been shocked at the idea of using a substitution for movement instead of just dodging, and was working on a way to incorporate it into his shunshin-heavy fighting style.

Naruto had opened up to him much more over the last few months, and Itachi learned that, behind that suspicious exterior, something of the original four year old that had gone into the woods had survived to influence his personality. As time went on he exhibited more exuberant behavior when happy, and was almost frighteningly single-minded when he had a goal in front of him, to the point that Itachi had had more than one talk with him about the importance of resting in order to keep himself healthy. He would, if given the chance, train himself into the ground with a determination that would have made Might Guy proud.

The one area that Itachi had been more or less unable to help Naruto with was his chains. He could see with his sharingan that they were incredibly dense chakra constructs, wrapped in a chakra shell that caused them to emit almost no waste energy, but that was the most he'd figure out so far. They remained difficult to perceive with the sharingan due to this lack of chakra emission, but more disturbingly their independent movement and lack of physical tells meant that he couldn't predict their movements. The more time he spent with Naruto, the more convinced he became that those chains would be an incredibly effective tool in the future. Unfortunately Itachi's had slipped up in a conversation about Naruto's bloodline and mentioned that he'd a woman with the same ability, someone Naruto had correctly deduced was his mother.

He'd begged Itachi for any information about his parents, something so out of character for the normally closed-off boy that he'd felt a pit open up in his stomach. He could almost see an overlay of his brother in Naruto, and the thought of such desperation over something so intrinsic as simply knowing basic things about your family…. Itachi had told Naruto what little he knew of his parents, not that it was much considering his age when they died. To Naruto, however, it was like water in the desert, and he'd soaked up every word with rapt attention. If anything, Naruto's dedication to his training had redoubled at hearing that both his parents were shinobi of Konoha. It was as if training in the ninja arts was a tangible connection to his parents in his mind, and his progress had likewise increased. Now, almost six months into his training with Naruto, Itachi had decided that Naruto had enough basic skills that he could train without hurting himself too badly, and began to teach him one of the most important lessons for any ninja: When to use those skills, and why.

"Naruto" Itachi began, looking at the boy where he was seated in front of him. "When you think of a shinobi, what comes to mind? Do you see a hero, like your father? A silent killer, like the man who drove you into the woods?" He stared at Naruto expectantly. This was important, and he needed to be sure that he imprinted the responsibility that came with the skills that he was training Naruto in. He had decided to give Naruto the means to make his own choices, but he had seen more than one shinobi turn in on themselves when they came across this question without help. Too many people couldn't separate the person from the job.

Naruto looked down for a moment, deep in thought. Itachi waited patiently for his answer, and Naruto had sensed that this was something his teacher felt was very important, so he tried not to answer flippantly. Finally he looked at Itachi.

"I think of someone with freedom" He said. Itachi blinked, confused.

"Someone with freedom? In what way?" He asked. Naruto took a deep breath.

"A shinobi has power, but that isn't _who_ they are. A shinobi is someone that can protect or destroy" Naruto's expression was an open book to Itachi, and he could almost see the specters of the Yondaime and the faceless man who'd tried to kill him over Naruto's shoulders. Naruto shook himself slightly, and continued.

"that power….it means you can choose your path. I mean, my parents died protecting the village when the Kyuubi attacked. They left me alone, and I'll never know what they were like, who they were as people. But….they saved everyone. So I guess they used their freedom to choose to protect the people of the village, even if it meant leaving me alone. I might not like it, but it was their choice, because that's what freedom is. The ability to do what you think is right, even if it means the people closest to you suffer for it. Because sometimes there are more important things." Itachi sat shocked. Naruto was only six and a half, but this sounded like something he'd mulled over for a long time. Itachi looked at Naruto, worried about lingering resentment from what he'd heard, but could only see acceptance on Naruto's face.

" _He's been thinking about this for a long time. It must have been something that he had to come with terms with when he learned about his parents, that they'd died in the Kyuubi attack… And it's become the core of how he looks at them. They had a choice, and he accepts that. He trains as hard as he does so that he can understand their choice, and maybe one day see if he could've found a better path…_ " Itachi mused, and then looked Naruto in the eye.

"You're right, that's as good an explanation as any. A shinobi has to choose their path, choose whether to protect themselves or others. Sometimes that choice isn't easy, but the ones that truly matter are never the easiest choices. If you find the thing you want to protect amongst all others, then you've found your true path. Never forget that, and no matter which path you choose, you'll be able to stand proud as a shinobi." Naruto nodded thoughtfully.

Itachi sat alone on top of the Hokage monument that night, looking over the village. He saw the light coming from hundreds of windows, the lives he was sworn to protect sitting comfortably under his aegis.

" _That's what freedom is. The ability to do what you think is right, even if it means the people closest to you suffer for it."_ Itachi closed his eyes as he remembered Naruto's words.

" _Is it really that simple?_ " He wondered. Once again, Naruto had pulled everything out of the normal patterns Itachi lived in, and now he couldn't help but look at his options differently. On the one hand, if he sided with the village then his clan would be destroyed, their name tarnished. The thought was almost physically painful for Itachi. But if he sided with his clan, he would be betraying every oath he'd ever sworn, and at best would plunge the village into a bloody civil war. His options were both terrible, but he could see only one that would allow him to hold his head high in the village, only one that would allow him to keep on the path he'd followed for so long. He pulled himself to his feet, and ran quickly across the rooftops toward the Hokage's tower, where he could still see a light burning in the candle. It was late, but the Hokage's work was never done, and they had a coup to prevent.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Naruto sat on a branch high above the walls of Konoha and looked at the village that had caused him so much pain. His talk with Itachi three weeks ago had given him many sleepless nights, and he'd driven himself to exhaustion training to try and quiet his mind.

" _If you find the thing you want to protect amongst all others, then you've found your true path. Never forget that, and no matter which path you choose, you'll be able to stand proud_ " Naruto had gone over the words a thousand times, and still had no answer. What did he want to protect? He wasn't sure he wanted to protect the village that had hated him, chased him into the woods. But that same village had produced Hinata and Itachi, so they couldn't _all_ be bad, right? He knew that at the very least he wanted to be able to protect those two, and to live up to the sacrifice his parents had made. After all, they had sacrificed themselves to protect the people here, so he should at least try and give them another chance?

These thoughts had flown around his head night after night, and he'd taken to watching different parts of the village to pass the sleepless hours. His favorites were the Uchiha and Hyuuga clan compounds. They were on opposite sides of the range of forest he lived in, but when he watched them he sometimes got glimpses of his important people, and that made the trek worth it. What confused him was the difference in how people treated the two of them. From what Itachi had said, Hinata was supposed to be the next head of the Hyuuga clan. But the people in the compound, in particular one older man, seemed to treat her badly much of the time. Naruto would almost have said the man hated her, but sometimes he would see the same man escorting her around, like the time they'd had a picnic in the forest. It was almost like they were two separate people!

By contrast, every time he spotted Itachi in the compound people treated him like royalty, always bowing or acting respectfully around him. It was a mystery, but he didn't want to admit to Itachi that he spied on them, nor that he was having trouble sleeping, so he couldn't figure it out for now.

" _The thing you want to protect.."_ He thought to himself, then shrugged. He'd figure it out eventually.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood in the bowels of one of the subterranean ANBU bases hidden around Konoha with two of his most trusted ninja, and put the finishing touches on the most abhorrent act he'd ever considered.

"You're sure you can do this by yourselves?" He said to the two Uchiha in front of him. Itachi had been in on the plan since its conception nearly two years ago, but Shisui had only been a part for the last six months. If it hadn't been for Itachi vouching for him, and the truth seal he'd submitted to questioning under, Hiruzen would never have risked bringing in the boy.

"We can do it. With Shisui's mangekyo and my own skills, we'll be able to catch them by surprise. By the time they know something is wrong, the most dangerous elements will already be neutralized." Itachi nodded at Danzo, who nodded sharply and stepped forward.

"We'll have loyal ANBU agents ready in the surrounding area, in case any of them try to escape." Hiruzen had never liked Danzo's willingness to engage in questionable means to accomplish a goal, but he would never deny the man was thorough.

"Then all that's left is to wait. One month from now, the Uchiha clan will only have two members left." Hiruzen said, a bitter taste in his mouth. Surely this wasn't what his senseis had in mind when they brought the Uchiha and Senju together to live in one village?

The other three nodded, and began to disperse. Hiruzen barely noticed Itachi following until a hand touched his shoulder.

"Itachi? What can I do for you?" He asked, trying to shake himself from the dark thoughts.

"I have a favor, Hokage-sama" He said, his tone respectful. He looked apprehensive, a break from his normal passive stoicism.

"I know what we're doing is necessary" Again Hiruzen felt bile in the back of his throat. "but my brother….my brother knows nothing of the plans for a coup. He is innocent. I ask nothing for myself, just that my brother be allowed to live." Itachi stared at Hiruzen, his black eyes pleading. Hiruzen thought for a second, but it was a foregone conclusion. He could condone the death of an entire clan for the good of the village, but part of that was the abstract concept involved with the "Uchiha" name being eradicated. To outright refuse to allow an innocent child to survive if it was in his power, now that he'd been made aware of Sasuke's ignorance.

"You're sure he knows nothing of the coup?" Hiruzen asked, and Itachi nodded.

"Then I'll allow it. Let me tell Danzo tomorrow, but you may spare him." Itachi had a visible look of relief on his face. The thought of killing his family was agonizing, that much was plain to see, but Hiruzen could only be glad he could spare this honorable young ninja the pain of killing his only sibling.

As Itachi walked away from him, Hiruzen took a long drag on his pipe.

 _"_ _The things we do for the village. I just hope I can sleep again after this, I have too many nightmares as it is…"_

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Naruto stood in the clearing he used to train with Itachi, pacing nervously. Itachi was late, something that had never happened in all the time Naruto had known him. He was considering running over to the trees overlooking the Uchiha compound and trying to spot him from there when he spotted Itachi coming in from the other side of the clearing. He opened his mouth to call out a greeting, but closed it when he saw the look on Itachi's face.

"What's wrong?" He asked as Itachi stopped in front of him. He was dressed in full ANBU gear, mask hanging off the side of his head. Itachi blinked, seeming to collect himself, and then his normal expressionless mask slipped back in place.

"I'm going on a mission, Naruto. A long one" Naruto frowned. Itachi had gone on long missions before, once for over three weeks, but something in his expression or tone told Naruto this was different.

"For how long? When are you coming back?" Naruto asked, a hint of panic in his voice. Itachi was the one of the very few constant things in his life. He was the person who'd given Naruto a small window into his parents, and was Naruto's gateway to the rest of the world. If he disappeared….

"I don't know. A long time, maybe years." Naruto felt numb at the words. He looked at Itachi, trying furiously to keep tears from forming in his eyes. Itachi took a scroll from behind his back.

"These are some chakra exercises to help you with your control, and a jutsu of my own creation. It will be useful for you, especially with your shadow clone mastery." Naruto nodded, taking the scroll.

"You're leaving right now?" Itachi shook his head.

"Tonight, but there is another task I have to do in the village. I won't be able to see you again before I go." Naruto nodded, and then turned back to Itachi.

"Stay here" He said. Itachi tilted his head slightly, looking at Naruto curiously as he ran back into the forest. It was nearly twenty minutes before Naruto came back, holding something in his hands. He came to a stop in front of Itachi, who studiously ignored the tears at the corners of his eyes.

"Here" he said, extending his hand. Itachi took the object he was presented, and looked down at it. It was a smooth piece of wood, carved by something sharp. He recognized Naruto's handiwork in the crude drawing, only a little better now than when he'd first met the boy. It was a carving of Naruto, his two iconic chains over his shoulders, standing next to a carving of a boy with short hair holding a kunai in each hand, ready to throw. They were labeled with Naruto's and Itachi's names.

"So you don't have to be alone on your mission. If my family can keep me company, then I can keep you company." Naruto smiled at him. Itachi looked at the carving, then silently and carefully put it away in one of the inside pouches of his ANBU vest.

"Thank you, Naruto" He said, his voice low. He put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, squeezing lightly, and then turned. He pulled his animal mask over his face, the cat-like features covering his features. Naruto watched him walk to the edge of the clearing, then dissolve into a flock of crows. Naruto pulled out the scroll, a smile on his face, and began to train. After all, just because Itachi was gone didn't mean he couldn't better himself. When Itachi returned to the village, Naruto would show him just how strong he'd become!

-X-X-X-X-X-

Itachi couldn't pinpoint one exact reason why the night had gone to hell, not because the decline was subtle, but because there was too many. First he'd found Shisui with only one eye, just in time for his best friend to rip out his other eye and entrust the valuable mangekyo to Itachi for safekeeping. While Itachi had stood, shocked at his friend's actions, Shisui had thrown himself into the river, and Itachi had been unable to find him. He'd tried to complete the eradication of the Uchiha by himself, growing sickened at each murder, only to come upon his parents seated calmly in their room. Far from vilifying him for his action, his father had told him how much he respected Itachi for following his convictions to the end. Worse, his mother had simply told him how proud she was of the man he'd become, and how much she loved him. All she'd asked was that he look after Sasuke. It had torn Itachi's heart from his chest to kill his parents after hearing that, but they had made their choice just as he had. The last nail in the coffin had been coming across his brother, drenched in his parent's blood. The look of confusion on Sasuke's face, the terrified screams as he'd used Tsukiyomi to direct all of Sasuke's hatred on him, it was all spinning in Itachi's head as he carried out his mission. As he'd headed to the rendezvous point to report in, he'd had to stop next to a stream to empty his stomach, unable to handle the nausea caused by his actions. His new mangekyo saw too much, and he couldn't forget any of it, not one little detail. It had taken him almost ten minutes to pull himself together enough to fake his normal façade enough to report in.

"It's done?" Danzo asked from the shadows. Itachi nodded, his mask hiding the pallor of his face.

"Then you know the next part of your mission." Danzo said.

"You'll take care of Sasuke?" Itachi asked. It was the only thing keeping him going at this point.

"Your brother will be treated as royalty, the last of the respected Uchiha clan. He will never know of your clan's betrayal." Danzo hesitated. "You're sure you don't want to remain in Konoha? ANBU are faceless after all, a simple change of mask and we could give you a new identity." Danzo was not overly emotional, but the loss of such an asset as Itachi was unfortunate, and he would avoid it if possible. Regardless, Itachi shook his head.

"I can do more on the other mission. I am uniquely…suited for that assignment." Danzo nodded slightly.

"Then I wish you good luck. Your first check in is in one month, in the capitol of Rice country." Itachi nodded, and Danzo slipped back into the shadows. Itachi ran up the wall next to him, and leapt off into the forest. He had only gone about three quarters of a mile when he sensed a familiar presence shadowing him. He pulling into a clearing and stopped.

"You can come out, Naruto. I know you're there." He called out quietly. He knew how acute Naruto's hearing was, there was no reason to shout. He watched the boy step out of the trees, his now light-red hair the only thing differentiating him from the shadows around him. In a detached part of his mind, Itachi was proud to see how well Naruto was applying his stealth training.

Naruto stared at Itachi silently for several minutes, his eyes boring into the holes in Itachi's ANBU mask. Finally he spoke one word.

"Why?" He asked. Surprisingly, there was no condemnation in his tone. Itachi knew that Naruto had somehow discovered his actions that night, but how could he not hate Itachi after what he'd done. After all, even _Itachi_ hated himself over his mission tonight.

"I had to prove myself" Itachi said, falling back on the same story he'd told Sasuke. "I had to know the limits of my power, so I used them to test myself. They were nothing more than the meter I used to measure my growth." Naruto's expression didn't change at all as Itachi spoke. Itachi waited for him to say something, to yell at him for betraying the very principles he's instilled in Naruto over the last year. His answer shocked Itachi, and sent him scrambling.

"Then why were you sick after doing it?" One simple sentence, and Itachi's narrative was destroyed. He cursed Naruto's penchant for sneaking, and his night vision.

" _How could I not have noticed him watching me?"_ He wondered, and then answered his own question. He was so messed up from killing his family that even a civilian could probably have snuck up on him. For someone like Naruto who'd spent years avoiding forest patrols, it had been child's play. His mind was racing to come up with another reason, one that would keep Naruto off the truth and be believable.

Naruto continued to stare at him, and then repeated his words from the long-ago conversation in the training grounds.

"Sometimes we have to do what's right, even if it hurts the ones closest to us." Itachi looked at him in surprise. Naruto just shrugged.

"I….I don't know why you did what you did, but I have faith in you Itachi sensei." He spoke. Itachi rocked back on his heels. The simple words had a profound effect. He'd worried about what Naruto would think of him after today, and to find out he didn't vilify him was….cleansing. Itachi was struck by the sudden urge to explain himself, to have someone, _anyone_ know the truth outside of the Hokage and Danzo. He couldn't bring himself to tell Naruto the whole truth, but he could at least let him know that he hadn't betrayed Naruto, that the things he'd taught him were still worthwhile.

"Sometimes we have to follow orders that we hate, in order to protect what we love." Itachi spoke quietly, and saw Naruto nod, though his eyes narrowed. Itachi watched as he looked back at the village, remembering the times Itachi had told him about his reasons for serving the village, about his philosophy about the duty of a shinobi. Itachi saw the connections forming, and a look of resolution came over his face.

"You're not coming back, are you?" He asked. Itachi shook his head.

"No. I'll be branded a missing ninja after this." Naruto frowned.

"That's not right!" Itachi cut him off.

"It's what I chose. My sacrifice is a small one, in the grand scheme of things. If this keeps the village safe, then I'll gladly pay it." Naruto looked at him.

"Then I'll protect it for you" He said stubbornly. Itachi's eyes widened. If Naruto really meant that… The possibilities began to run through his head. He didn't want to force Naruto into something out of a misplaced sense of obligation to Itachi, but Naruto was strong now, strong enough to protect himself from any civilians and most of the lower ranked ninja at least. He would be safer in Konoha, especially with the hunter nin that would be combing the country for him.

Another thought struck him, and he smiled inwardly. If he was going to send his surrogate little brother into the lion's den, so to speak, there was one more set of claws he could give him.

"If you truly mean that, then you'll need to see the Hokage after you wake up." He said. "Tell him nothing of speaking to me though, Naruto. This is a secret you cannot speak to anyone of, under pain of death. My sacrifice would be in vain otherwise." Naruto nodded slowly, not truly understanding but trusting that Itachi knew what he was talking about, then stopped.

"Wait, what do you mean wake up?" Naruto said, confused. Itachi simply looked at him, the three commas of his activated sharingan spinning. As Naruto fell to the ground unconscious, he reached into the vest of his ANBU vest and pulled out an object.

"The last gift I can give you Naruto….use it wisely."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Deep inside Naruto's subconscious, trapped behind great iron bars and a seal insignia, the Kyuubi growled as his container was put under a genjutsu by the sharingan.

 ** _Those eyes are an abomination_** He grumbled quietly to himself. He couldn't help but feel a bit of camaraderie with his host over the situation, however. He'd been under the sharingan's influence, and knew exactly how powerful it could be. That didn't mean he wouldn't make fun of his container for falling to that trick again the next time they met, however. He couldn't see anything through the seal, but he could sense the chakras around him, and noticed the Itachi's coming closer. There was a familiar sense as he activated a jutsu, and the Kyuubi looked up at the top of his cage as if he could see through it.

 ** _"_** ** _Oh, what's this?"_** He said softly, curiosity and surprise present in his voice. A second later he felt a second chakra signature, too small to be another person, interact with the jutsu Itachi was using.

" ** _You sneaky son of a…. NOW things are getting interesting!"_** He chuckled at that. " ** _I can't wait to see how this plays out! I haven't been part of anything that interesting since…well since the last time I fought Hashirama…."_** The Kyuubi mused to himself. It was rather boring, being trapped inside the stomach of a seven year old, but now he had something to look forward to.

" ** _Don't die too soon, kit"_** He mumbled to himself " ** _This is just getting fun!_** " He laughed long and hard at that, as Naruto slumbered, unaware of his tenant's amusement.

-X-X-X-X-X-

When Naruto woke, he had a pounding headache and a curse on his lips for red-eyed idiots and genjutsus in general. He pulled his aching body slowly to his feet, and stumbled over to a nearby stream. A long drink and several splashes of cold water later, he felt more awake. Judging by the position of the sun it was still early morning, no more than two or three hours since sunrise. He thought back to his meeting with Itachi, and the cryptic remarks he'd made.

" _He said he was following orders.."_ Naruto thought. " _And if he can't tell me about it, then maybe whoever ordered it can…but I can't ask if what Itachi sensei said was right."_ He concluded with a nod. If he was ever going to find out what had happened to cause Itachi to massacre his family like that, he was going to have to find a way to get into the Hokage's records, or someone else suitably highly-placed. Naruto's head throbbed at the thought of how long a plan like that would take.

" _Might as well just_ become _the Hokage at that point."_ He grumbled to himself. Either way, he had his directions from Itachi, and they seemed like a good idea anyways. He was a little wary of going back to the village, but no longer feared the civilians. After all, if what Itachi had said was true, he was stronger than most of the genin in the village, so a civilian shouldn't be any danger.

It took him nearly an hour to reach his destination, and he was relieved to see his targets out in the open. It would be much more difficult to get close to them if they were inside or under guard, and he didn't really trust anyone else to help him. He climbed the wall around the compound with ease, his chains acting as anchors while his feet gripped the slippery wall with a thin coating of chakra. At the top, he anchored one chain into the wall, and wrapped the other around him like a cloak. Itachi had told him that the chain confused his sharingan, and would probably be difficult to detect for anyone who relied on chakra to see. He'd also given Naruto a crash course on the other bloodline users in Konoha, so Naruto knew he'd need every advantage he could get to remain unseen.

Thankfully, either due to his own efforts or the commotion around the massacre at the Uchiha estate, he managed to make it into the gardens he'd been aiming for without anyone raising the alarm. He allowed his anchor line to dissipate at the top, retracting the rest inside himself, and took a deep breath to gather his courage. This would be the first time in more than three years that he'd had any real contact with someone other than Itachi. Before his courage could flag, he stepped resolutely out of the bushes in front of his targets. They both looked at him in surprise, the older woman falling back into a defensive stance.

"Um, hi" Naruto said awkwardly, not sure what to do about the woman apparently ready to beat him senseless. "Could you take me to the Hokage by any chance?"

-X-X-X-X-

Hiruzen looked at the report on his desk with a scowl on his face.

" _One hundred and thirty four people dead because Fugaku couldn't be content with what he had"_ He thought. Rarely had Hiruzen seen so much waste for so little reason. This whole operation had left a bad taste in his mouth, even before Shisui had disappeared. Now, instead of there being three loyal Uchiha left, there was only one seven year old boy. He sighed.

"What a mess…." He looked up at a knock on his door, and his secretary poked her head in. His two ANBU guards, Inu and Cat, had been pulled off the search for Naruto to help with manpower as they cleaned up the massacre, and they tensed minutely as the door opened before relaxing as they recognized the woman.

"Hokage-sama?" Hiruzen motioned for her to continue.

"I have the Hyuuga matriarch here to see you. She says it's important." Hiruzen told her to let them in, frowning. The Lady Hyuuga had called on him before, and he was curious about what could be so important on today of all days.

The door opened again, and three people filed into the room. The first two Hiruzen recognized as Hitomi Hyuuga and her daughter Hinata, who was hiding slightly behind her mother. As he saw the third figure, however, his face went slack. As his pipe hit the desk, Inu did a double take.

"You!" He shouted, making the Hyuuga girl flinch. A small smile pulled the boy's mouth upwards, and Hiruzen had the distinct impression he enjoyed Inu's reaction before turning back to Hiruzen.

"Hello Hokage-sama" he said. Hiruzen simply stared for a moment, his headache increasing as he thought of the oncoming paperwork. He smiled wryly.

"Hello Naruto"

A/N So this took forever to write because I wanted to get the entire thing up until the massacre in one chapter, but damn did it take a while (I think its a little over 14k words). To clear up a few things right away: Naruto is not a prodigy. He lives in the woods, and has a lot of time on his hands, so he practices a lot. The one place he excels is in 3 dimensional geography, mostly because he swings around on those chains like a demented spider monkey. Since the deflection technique relies on a sharingan to compensate for most people NOT having an instinctive ability to track/predict objects in 3D space, it would be unnecessary for Naruto to do that technique. He already knows how things move based on applied force in a 3d environment, its how he's moved around for 1/3rd of his life.. Other than that, for those interested, Hinata's mother survived a placental bleed that the nurse in the room missed because of how long the labor was. As someone who has had to assist on a 22 hour delivery, I can attest that towards the end of that you're just fried, and you can miss things. Hizashi, having not stared at a pregnant lady for 12 hours, was less inattentive and noticed in time to get a doctor to help.

Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 2: Mementos

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I make no claims to anything but the original parts of the storyline I write, and frankly even that is probably owed to the government because of my student loans.**

 **Edit: A couple of people have posted guest reviews asking me questions. While I am always grateful for reviews, I can't PM a guest, so please don't take a lack of response personally, if it's not something too specific to future story points i'll answer in the next chapter in an AN. Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Chapter 2**

Hiruzen stared at the boy in front of him, his mind still caught in a daze. It seemed the day did, in fact, have one more sucker punch to throw at him. The fallout from Itachi's massacre would bury him in paperwork and meetings for a month, but the recovery of the Kyuubi jinchuriki would send the balance of power in the council, already precarious with the loss of the Uchiha clan, into complete disarray as they fought over who would be put in charge of Naruto's training, not to mention preventing him from fleeing again. He could already hear the screeching of the civilian council in his head, and he could swear the headache already pressing on his temples was a conditioned response by now.

"You know, of all the ways I could have imagined us meeting again, Naruto, this has to be the _least_ likely of them all." He said, a wry smile tugging the corners of his mouth up. "Nearly three years those two have been looking for you" he motioned with his hand to Inu and Neko, the former of which looked as if he wanted to grab Naruto and shake him until he understood just how frustrating the last two years had been "and you just walk into my office the day after one of the worst incidents in our village's history. Forgive an old man his curiosity, but why now?"

Hiruzen had always been a good judge of people. Decades of holding the highest office in the village and dealing with the political machinations of the council had left him able to decipher most people's general motivations at a glance. He'd known Naruto for most of his life before his disappearance, and before today would have bet most people nearly anything that he could tell Naruto's state of mind at a glance. After all, he'd never been the most…subtle of children. Now, however, all Hiruzen could tell of Naruto's state of mind was that he was guarded, and his body language was subtly telling him that Naruto considered everyone in the room except for possible Hitomi and Hinata as threats. More than surprise, Hiruzen felt a wave of sadness pass over him.

" _What happened to him over the last 3 years Naruto? Where did the happy child go?"_ Hiruzen wondered to himself. He knew Naruto had participated in at least 2 fairly horrendous situations, at least one of which he felt somewhat responsible for, but he had hoped that something of Naruto's happy-go-lucky against all comers attitude had survived.

Naruto looked at him, his gaze unwavering, and Hiruzen saw something there. Purpose maybe, or resolve. Whatever had driven Naruto from hiding, it was important to him.

"I made a promise to someone to help protect the village, Hokage-sama. The Uchiha are gone, and that means that the village will need help, and I want to do what I can. The forest is my home….will always be my home. But if I stay out there I would be going back on my word, and betraying the only person who has ever shown complete faith in me. I….I can't do that." For a second, Hiruzen saw the same four year old he'd known before, the one who would do anything in his limited power to keep a promise, even at such a young age. His relief at seeing something, _anything,_ of the old Naruto rushed through him, almost negating the pain he felt at the knowledge that Naruto felt he'd lost faith in him at some point. Hiruzen looked at the two people that had accompanied Naruto, acknowledging their presence for the first time.

"And what of you and your daughter, Lady Hyuuga? How is it that you came to be escorting young Naruto today?" He almost winced as he saw Hinata curl further behind her mother.

" _Hiashi really needs to tone it down. At this rate she'll have a nervous breakdown before she's fifteen. A fake clan heir going off the reservation is bad enough, we don't need a REAL one…"_ He thought critically, but he knew he had little say in clan matters. Hiashi's pride was pushing him down this path, and much as Hiruzen wished he could do something to change it the law was firmly on the Hyuuga clan head's side.

Glancing down at her daughter briefly, Hitomi squeezed Hinata's hand reassuringly once, then turned back to the Hokage.

"Naruto approached my daughter and I this morning in our garden and requested an escort to see you, Hokage-sama." Hitomi said easily. Her smile said there was something more to the story, and Hiruzen quickly caught the disparate element.

"An unknown child dressed in worn clothing was allowed into the inner gardens of the Hyuuga compound at…"he glanced at the clock on his wall and did some quick math. "Eight fifteen in the morning, roughly?" He asked skeptically.

Hitomi's smile just widened a fraction of an inch, and Hiruzen noticed a small amount of red in Naruto's cheeks.

"Naruto correctly assumed that, in light of the debt the Hyuuga clan owes him, he would be permitted in the clan estates. That he chose to….forgo all of the normal pleasantries normally associated with entry into the inner gardens was simply a reflection of how important he felt meeting with you in a timely manner was." Hiruzen felt his eyes widen as he worked out the implications of her response. Obviously Naruto had not been approved to enter the inner gardens, which meant he'd snuck in. And if he'd managed to avoid the guards of a clan with a doujutsu that allowed them to see 360 degrees… That much stealth potential at such a young age was rare enough to merit interest all on its own.

"How?" He asked her. Before she could answer, two transparent chains burst from Naruto, wrapping around his body until only the pointed tips were free, poised over his shoulders. Their manifestation had been so fast that Hiruzen had barely registered their presence before the boy was covered from thigh to neck in solidified chakra. He noticed that the two ANBU had moved to defensive positions, but subtly motioned for them to stand down when he saw that Naruto was making no moves beyond the initial manifestation.

"Amazing." Hiruzen murmured. He stepped toward Naruto to get a closer look at the chains, and noticed the tips following him as he did so. "I haven't seen anything like this since…" His voice trailed off, but he never expected what he heard next.

"Since my mother, I assume." Naruto's voice was even, but Hiruzen caught the undertone of anger as he spoke. Naruto's eyes caught his own and held them; the betrayal burning in them left no doubt that he had discovered Hiruzen's deception regarding his parents. Hiruzen's hand came down almost reflexively, activating the security and privacy seals built into the walls of the office before anyone could say anything.

"How long?" Hiruzen asked, ignoring the confused looks on the faces of the two Hyuuga.

"The night I killed Akihiro." Naruto's voice didn't change at all when he answered, but Hiruzen winced inwardly as he remembered the night. More, he saw Hitomi's face whip toward Naruto, and he could read he expression well enough to know she was putting the pieces about the chunin's death together. Hiruzen sighed again. This day just kept getting worse and worse. He took a deep breath and turned to Naruto.

"What would you have me do?" He asked warily. Naruto only took a breath, seeming to steady himself before he spoke.

"Nothing, Hokage-sama. I'm not back because of my parents. Harping on their memory at this point would be dishonorable, and they've suffered enough betrayals." Hiruzen was unable to keep himself from flinching as he heard the blunt statement, but couldn't find it in himself to argue. "I'm here to fulfill a promise to protect the village to the best of my abilities. All I ask is that you help me do that." Naruto finished.

Hiruzen sat for a minute, pulling on his pipe as he thought. Reintroducing Naruto to the village would be difficult, to say the least. Even if he disregarded the standard power-plays that had always surrounded him, deflecting the accusations of the council over Akihiro's death or the attack on the Kumo ambassador would be problematic. Technically the Hokage was the supreme authority in Konoha, but the council could make his life extremely difficult if they chose. When he finally turned to Naruto, he knew that his answer would not make the boy happy.

"As much as I would love to help you, Naruto, you have to realize there are certain….issues that some on the council would have with you rejoining the village. It's highly likely they would try to prevent you from becoming a normal shinobi." Naruto nodded as he heard that, only the slight tightening at the corners of his eyes giving away his irritation.

"Because of this, right?" Naruto said, placing his hand over his stomach.

Hiruzen gasped in shock as he heard Naruto casually refer to the Kyuubi sealed inside him, and as a consequence pulled in a lungful of smoke. Coughing heavily to try and expel some of the smoke from his lungs, he looked at Naruto in shock.

"How..cough..how did you?" his question tapered off as Naruto shook his head, his face harder than any child's had a right to be. Hiruzen nodded slightly, willing to wait for an explanation at a later time. Finally expelling the last of the smoke, he looked at Naruto's stomach briefly before returning to his face.

"Yes, that is the main reason. They will try to hold you in reserve as a last resort or deterrent, and frankly you're too well known around the village. If we tried to pass you off as someone else they would find out right away." Hiruzen said, his face drawn. He hated the thought of condemning the boy to a life like that, hated for his burden but unable to escape it because of the potential power. He was about to suggest that Naruto possibly try for another path, maybe T & I, when Inu cut in.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but that might not..strictly be true." He said slowly. Hiruzen looked at him sharply, along with every other person in the room, then motioned for him to continue.

"You're looking at this from the perspective of someone who has known Naruto for most of his life, spent a large amount of time checking up on a covert search for him. For someone who wasn't familiar with him …..the boy looks nothing like he did before." Hiruzen frowned, and looked at Naruto critically before shaking his head.

"His hair may be different, and his face thinner, but there's no way anyone will mistake the marks on his face or his eyes. He'd never make it past the first class at the academy before someone outed him." To his surprise, Inu chuckled and shook his head.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, those are small problems. The marks on his face can be covered up with cosmetics or a mask" He pulled up his dog mask slightly to show the mask covering the lower part of his face. "And as for his eyes, a pair of sunglasses will hide those well enough." The Hokage snorted.

"And what, wear the glasses 24/7? That would draw too much attention, it'd be obvious he's trying to hide." He said sarcastically. Inu only shrugged.

"Have you even seen an Aburame without their glasses? I've been guarding you at council meetings for years, and I still don't know Shibi Aburame's eye color. Make his true identity an S-class secret and lock it in the Hokage vaults, and unless he tells someone they'll never connect him with a runaway. In two or three years he'll have grown up enough that even without a disguise he'll be unrecognizable from his four year old self, and it won't matter by then." Hiruzen frowned as Inu finished, then slowly nodded. He'd become so accustomed to the backstabbing politics of the council over the years that he sometimes forgot what tools he had at his disposal as Hokage.

"Yes….that might just work." He looked sharply at Hitomi.

"You understand that everything being discussed here is now sealed under my edict, yes?" Hitomi nodded, a serious look on her face. The Hokage's edict was absolute, and she knew that if he suspected she'd divulged Naruto's identity it was possible she could be arrested at best, or simply vanished at worst. Hiruzen stared at her for a second before nodding and turning to Naruto.

"Is that acceptable Naruto? It would mean hiding who you are from everyone around you, but it would also prevent the council from making your life unnecessarily difficult, at least for the immediate future. Naruto nodded without hesitation before answering.

"As long as I can participate as an active part of Konoha's forces, I don't care. If a little deception is what I need to keep some fools from holding me back, I'll do it." Hiruzen nodded. Naruto's true birth certificate and records were already sealed in the Hokage's vault so it would only take a notation linking Naruto's new identity to those files and the same secrecy measures would apply to both.

"If we're going to protect your identity, you'll need a new name. It would do no good to hide your appearance if we don't change that. Any preferences?" Hiruzen asked. Naruto thought for a moment, then answered.

"Kodama. I can shorten Naruto to Ruto, and Kodama is….fitting as a last name." Hiruzen could only nod.

" _Naming himself after a forest spirit….I guess it IS fitting when you look at his life for the past few years. He certainly managed to imitate one well enough to avoid us for that long._ " He made the notation to create the false identity, then passed it off to Neko. By the end of the day, Konoha's records would show one Ruto Kodama had been a citizen of Konoha for seven years, and only access to the Hokage's archive could tell any differently. He stood, and offered his hand to Naruto.

"Then let me be the first to welcome you to Konoha, Ruto Kodama. May the will of fire burn strongly in you." Naruto hesitated, then shook the proffered hand.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." He said quietly.

When Naruto walked away from the Hokage's office, he was moderately confidant that even Itachi would have had a hard time recognizing him. Inu had gone above and beyond his initial suggestions, providing not only a foundation that completely erased Naruto's whisker marks when applied but also contacts that changed the color of his eyes from blue to a light green and a pair of sunglasses similar to those used by the Aburame clan. A long-sleeved black and red jacket filled out the ensemble, and "Ruto Kodama" was complete.

Being back in the village was something of a culture shock for Naruto, not only due to his long stay in the forest but also the change in the villager's attitudes towards him. Now that he wasn't the "demon brat", shop keepers called friendly greetings and more than one vendor offered him small samples of their wares. Proprietors that had physically ejected him from their establishments three years ago now smiled at him as he passed. It shook him to the core to think of how easy it was to changer their attitudes. A jacket and a pair of sunglasses, apply a little makeup and bam! Instant acceptance. Naruto knew deep down that it was an illusion, but he also remembered what Itachi had said.

"The best illusions are no different from the truth." He repeated to himself. He took a deep breath and let it go explosively. There was no use thinking of how they used to treat Naruto Uzumaki, because from now on there WAS no Naruto Uzumaki. He was Ruto Kodama, and forgetting that for even an instant could be disastrous.

His walk ended at a large apartment building just off of the main commercial district. Konoha was roughly divided into 3 main sections, Residential, Commercial, and Ninja. The clan compounds were mostly around the Ninja sector with the exception of a few clans like the Nara whose clan compound was in the woods off of the Commercial District. The Hokage had assigned him an apartment that was at the border between the Ninja and Commercial Districts, citing ease of access to both, and the building was obviously quietly prosperous. He walked up to the second floor and found his room number, the key turning easily in the lock. He knew that Inu lived somewhere in this building from what the Hokage had said, but beyond that he had no idea who any of his neighbors were.

The apartment was furnished in a modern but aesthetic style, only two chairs at the single table, and a small couch the only other seating in the kitchen and living room. There was a full bathroom, the size of which surprised him, and the bedroom was easily half a dozen times the size of his cubby. Still, he was unused to so much space and the close proximity of other humans.

" _If I hadn't promised Itachi…."_ He thought as he pictured sleeping so close to other humans. He missed the forest more with every passing minute, but he would never go back on his oath to Itachi.

Sighing, he fell back on the bed and sunk in slightly. "Well at least there's something good about this place" He murmured as the soft mattress caused his lids to close slowly.

"Maybe..*yawn* maybe I could get used to this.." His words trailed off, and snoring filled the apartment. He never noticed the door open as a head topped by a shock of white hair peered in, then pulled back and closed the door.

Life in Konoha was something Naruto found to be simultaneously endlessly frustrating and endlessly fascinating. Compared to his life in the forest, everything was incredibly fast-paced. Naruto had almost missed more than one appointment simply because he was unfamiliar with any time increment besides sunset, sunrise, noon or midnight. Adjusting to a life measured in seconds and minutes instead of hours and days was frustrating, and Naruto soon began to feel as if every second was something he was losing, slipping through his fingers despite his every attempt to slow them down.

Despite his new awareness time, there were several things that he enjoyed in Konoha. Hitomi made a point to visit with him at least once every week or two, and she brought Hinata with her. For Naruto, Hinata's presence was a godsend. While he liked Hitomi, she had a very strong personality, constantly trying to tweak or improve things in Naruto's apartment or suggest new places to visit and activities to try. While Naruto enjoyed new experiences, Hitomi seemed to want to experience a little of everything at the exclusion of deeper enjoyment, while Naruto had long ago learned to appreciate the complexities of the little things. After all, there're only so many opportunities for entertainment in a forest, and being easily bored wasn't really an option if he wanted to stay sane. Hinata was farm more timid than her mother, but when Naruto was around she seemed to come out of her shell to some degree. At these times she agreed with Naruto more often than not when it came to choosing what place to eat or activity to try, and as a result they managed to slow down Hitomi's rampage through every new experience to something Naruto could handle without needing to keep a journal just to remember what they'd done in a single afternoon.

One thing Naruto had noticed about Hinata was that, if pushed beyond her comfort zone too far or forced out of her timid habits, she showed a determination and force of presence that was truly impressive to the red haired boy. From his observations while in the forest and the hints Hitomi and Hinata had let slip, he knew that Hinata's relationship with her father was strained due to her kind nature and difficulty with the traditional martial art of her clan. He also knew from his observations that she would practice every day without fail, and rarely if ever complained about any of the treatment heaped upon her. She bore it with a grace that struck a chord in Naruto, reminding him of Itachi's attitude toward his own sacrifice. What Naruto couldn't understand was her lack of skill with an art she worked so hard at. He'd seen her prowess in other areas of the ninja arts, and outside of the Jyuuken she excelled. It was almost as if the art itself was fighting her.

He had considered asking Hitomi more than once, but he wasn't sure if it was a taboo subject, nor was he eager to reveal that he had been spying on the compound even after leaving the woods. For now he was keeping his questions to himself, waiting to see if their enrollment into the academy in two months would do something to help with her problems with the Jyuuken. Naruto wasn't sure what was taught at the academy as Itachi's training had focused on immediately applicable things, not theory, but he assumed that _someone_ there would have an idea about how to approach the situation. In all honesty Naruto was looking forward to the academy. It was the first step on his path to becoming a strong shinobi like his parents and Itachi, and if he was to ever figure out what had prompted Itachi's actions that night he would need to hone his skills. Sneaking into a place like the Hokage's archives wasn't an activity for an amateur, and despite his growing prowess Naruto knew he was nowhere near good enough. He could be patient, however.

The one thing about the academy that Naruto disliked was the necessity of hiding his heritage. He knew the ruse was necessary to insulate him from the council, but his name was one of the only connections he had to his parents, and it irritated him to have to act as if it didn't exist. His conversation with the Hokage when he'd done the paperwork to enroll in the academy had been heated, to say the least, and not all of it Naruto's fault.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

 **2 days after Naruto's return**

 **-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

Naruto stared at the Hokage over a small pile of forms, his hand aching slightly from all the writing he'd had to do. He'd managed to become somewhat skilled at reading from his stolen scrolls while in the forest, but without any way to practice writing he'd been unable to progress his abilities beyond what he'd had at four years old, and even those had atrophied from disuse. The office was once again empty except for the two of them and the ANBU guards Inu and Neko, both of them edging away slowly from the growing confrontation.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but there is no way I can release your inheritance and still maintain your cover" Hiruzen said. "I realize this is difficult, but there's just no way it would go unnoticed." Naruto's stare didn't waver.

"I'm not asking for money, or recognition. You told me my parents' house is still the same as they left it. Just give me the key." Naruto's voice was even, but internally he was raging at the old man.

"I can't Naruto. If you were seen entering the house" Naruto cut him off swiftly.

"The house is on the edge of the village, close to the Uchiha compound! There's never anyone _there_ , how could they see me go into a house they think is abandoned!?" He exclaimed angrily. Hiruzen had simply taken a pull on his pipe and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"There are always people around Naruto, this is a ninja village. It would only take a single mistake and everything would be ruined. I'm sorry, but I cannot risk it." Naruto had stormed out of his office angrily at that, and it had taken him several hours in the forest to calm down. When he finally had a firm hold on his temper, he noticed that he'd unconsciously circled around the village until he was close to the wall that separated the forest from the clan section, not far from his parents' house. Noting the patrolling guards on the walls, he quickly pulled himself over the wall with a quick chain movement, and dropped to the ground. He froze, looking for any sign that he'd been seen, but he didn't see or hear anyone. Cautiously making his way over to the front gate, he looked forlornly up at the house. He was less than fifteen feet from a tangible relic of his parents, but the ornate gate blocked his way. He could see seals lining the top of the surrounding wall, and recognized a few as variants of explosive seals from Itachi's training. If he tried to jump the wall he'd be luck to come down on the other side in less than a dozen pieces.

He sighed heavily and leaned his head against the gate. So close but so far…. his hand rose to touch the handle of the gate lightly, and he nearly jumped out of his sandals as blue light began to climb around the gate. He could see a line of seals radiating out from the lock of the gate, for a brief moment, and then the whole array blinked out as suddenly as it appeared. A loud *click* came from the lock, and the gate swung inward a few inches. Naruto looked around furtively for a second, but the lure of the house was too much and he pushed his way quickly inside. As the gate closed, Naruto once again saw the array pop up and disappear, another *click* signaling the gate was locked again. Naruto walked forward slowly, looking around him. The grounds were unkempt but wide, and he could see a series of posts similar to the ones at the training fields in one corner. The house itself was in good shape, only a little peeling paint betraying the long time it had sat unused. It was not particularly large, only two stories. The kind of home a family could grow in without feeling stifled, but not what Naruto would have expected for a Hokage.

The front door opened easily at his touch, and he moved into the front hall before closing the door behind him. He could see a hallway stretched out before him, but what caught his attention was the closet next to the door. Several pairs of sandals stood in a small cubby next to the door, and a several white coats with flames at the bottom stood in the closet next to a flak jacket. Naruto could feel tears tracking down his cheeks as he looked at the first tangible reminders of his parents that he'd ever seen. He ran a hand slowly over the flak jacket, noting several nicks and a holster for a katana on the back, then took a deep breath. He couldn't stay here forever, and there was more to see.

The hallway had several rooms leading off of it that Naruto could see, and a staircase at the other end. He passed a kitchen on his left, dishes still in the sink, but only looked in briefly. The first door on the right side led to a living room with a large fireplace in one wall, a large sheathed katana hanging over the mantle. There were several pictures there as well, and Naruto spent several minutes simply drinking in the sight of his parents. For the first time he had faces to go with the names, and it filled something inside him that he'd never realized was missing. He picked up one picture, a shot of his parents standing arm-in-arm and a hand each on his mother's pregnant stomach, and took it with him as he moved to explore more. The only other room on the first floor was a bathroom, but the staircase was a spiral that led both upwards and downwards. Deciding to leave the lower level for last, Naruto went up the stairs. The first room was a somewhat bland room that was set up for guests, but the second room was set up as a workshop and armory. Stacks of shuriken and kunai lay on a rack in one corner, and he could see at least 2 katana leaning against the wall. A desk with a long shelf took up one half of the room, sealing supplies laid out with methodical precision over most of its surface. He could see several tri-pronged kunai sitting on the end of the shelf, and a cursory inspection of the cabinets above the desk showed both more sealing supplies and a large number of the same strange kunai.

He left the room as it was and moved back to the hallway towards the last room on the floor. The door opened to a large bedroom with a west-facing floor-to-ceiling window. The window afforded a beautiful view of the village, and in the waning sunlight Naruto could easily imagine that sunset would look spectacular. The room itself was somewhat messy, showing the hasty nature of its inhabitant's last departure, but it was the corner that made Naruto pause. A large crib stood against the wall, a shuriken and katana mobile hanging over it. Naruto walked slowly over to the crib and stood over it, looking down. A small blanket that looked hand-stitched lay over the bedding, its surface adorned with swirls and leaf symbols. Naruto picked it up with shaking hands and hugged it to his chest. _This_ was where he was supposed to be, happy and safe with his family. Memories of the hatred the villagers had shown him for the first four years of his life flashed through his mind, and a deep feeling of loss caused sobs to rack his body. He didn't know how long he sat sobbing next to the crib, but when he finally wiped his eyes and looked up it was dark out. Saying a silent prayer for his parents, he took the slightly tearstained blanket and wrapped it around the picture he'd grabbed from the living room and headed down the staircase. There was still one part of the house he'd left unexplored, and he didn't know when he would be able to sneak back here again. The Hokage had a point, coming back here too often would increase the chance that he would be found out, and he couldn't afford that right now.

The staircase ended at a metal door with the same style lock as the one on the front gate. Naruto tentatively touched the handle and was grateful to see the same seals spread across the door after a second, followed by the *click* noise of the lock disengaging. He pushed the door open slowly, and moved into the room. Either his presence or the door opening had caused lights to come on automatically, and Naruto looked around him in amazement. Row upon row of scrolls sat in neat racks, filling every corner of the room. He could see several labels from where he stood in the doorway, and they seemed to be elemental labeling. He reached out to the closest rack, one labeled "Earth", and took a random scroll. Opening it, he found a series of pictures and instructions that seemed to describe a jutsu for moving underground quickly, complete with hand-written annotations that seemed to be advice on how to make the most of the technique. He put the scroll back on the rack and pulled another from the rack labeled "Fire", this time showing a technique for creating a concentrated stream of fire that was breathed out in a straight line. As Naruto looked around he marveled at the concept of such a large collection of ninja techniques. He could stay in here for the next ten years and barely learn a tenth of the things he could see here. As he marveled at the wealth of information in the room, one scroll caught his eye. The scroll was labeled "Shadow Clone Corollaries", and Naruto picked it up eagerly. The shadow clone technique was one of his best, and although Itachi had given him another technique that worked off of it the more options he had the better. A quick glance at the scroll showed four techniques, all based off the same theory as the shadow clone, starting with the Shadow Shuriken technique. Naruto put the scroll in the same bundle as the picture he'd grabbed, and looked longingly at the room around him. He would love to take more of the scrolls with him, but he knew that there was a limit to how much he could bring with him without being caught. Finally he decided to take only two other scrolls, the earth move technique and a beginner's guide to sealing, in the hope that he might be able to decode what the seals on the gate were.

Naruto resolutely kept his gaze forward as he moved back to the front door, avoiding any more emotional breakdowns like the one upstairs. He stopped only momentarily to glance at the jackets hung in the hall closet before stepping outside, almost running to the front gate. A quick check to make sure that no one was watching, and Naruto opened the gate. Retracing his steps back over the wall was relatively easy, as the village patrols were not very thorough in this peaceful time, and he gained the forest only a few minutes later. He made his way back to the cubby that had been his home before returning to the village. That night he stayed in the forest, staring at the picture of his family. The image followed him into his dreams, and finally the faceless parents that he'd dreamed about so often were fleshed out. That night he'd slept better than he ever had before, protected by the mementos he'd taken.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Kakashi stood at the edge of the village walls, looking out over the woods in the direction that Naruto had disappeared. When the Hokage had asked him to follow Naruto after he'd stormed out of the office, Kakashi had reluctantly agreed. Even though he thought it distasteful to keep Naruto away from whatever mementos of his parents still existed, he had agreed with the Hokage that it was too much of a risk for Naruto's cover. He'd been intending to let Naruto run off some of his anger, and then step in and talk to the boy before he did something that would get him into trouble with the old man.

His shock when Naruto had walked up to the gates of the Yondaime's house had almost made him blow his cover when Naruto checked for followers, but it was nothing compared to what he felt when the gates opened at Naruto's touch. Kakashi had been to the house a few times when the Yondaime was his sensei, and he knew the gates would never open to anyone that didn't possess a blood link to the man. The pieces he hadn't noticed before began to click into place, and when he realized the truth it astonished him that he hadn't seen it before.

" _Sensei's son survived….and we never knew!_ " He thought, his eye widening behind the dog mask. He'd always thought that the child had died the same night the Kyuubi had attacked. That even he, who'd been so close to the previous Hokage, hadn't known about Naruto's parentage was amazing, but the implications for the village as a whole were enormous. The loss of the Fourth had been more than a psychological blow for the village, it had signaled the loss of several key techniques that had been unique to the beloved leader. Presumable the scrolls for those techniques existed inside the sealed compound, but even the best seal masters in Konoha had pronounced the seals unbreakable, and cautioned that anyone attempting to tamper with them or cross over the gates would set off a chain reaction that would, at best, obliterate the compound. It was a visible reminder of what Konoha had lost in the Kyuubi attack, sitting here at the edge of the village, taunting them with how close the knowledge was while simultaneously being impossibly far away. With Naruto now having access to the house, it was entirely possible that he would one day return some of the most powerful techniques the world had ever seen to Konoha.

Kakashi had stayed hidden outside the house as night began to fall, somewhat worried that one of the security features had caused him some harm, but just when he'd begun toying with the idea of going to the Hokage for help Naruto stepped back out of the front door and made his way to the gate. Kakashi's eye focused on the bundle in his arms, and he picked out what seemed to be two scrolls and something square inside of a hand-made blanket. As Naruto ran past his hiding spot, the blanket shifted slightly and he recognized one of the pictures that had been on the mantle the last time he'd been in the house. He knew it was dangerous to have something like that out of the house, much less in Naruto's possession when he was trying to stay incognito, but Kakashi couldn't bring himself to keep Naruto from having at least that much of his parents, not now that Kakashi knew who they were and the magnitude of sacrifice they'd made, leaving their child behind while saving the village.

Naruto had moved quickly over the wall and out into the forest, but Kakashi had stayed on the wall watching him disappear between the trees. He had suspected Naruto still had a hideaway somewhere out there and as much as he wanted to see where it was, even if only to assuage his curiosity after looking for it for so long, he knew it would be a breach of Naruto's privacy. Plus, with Naruto's familiarity with the woods in that area it would be difficult to hide from the boy, especially in the dark. Kakashi stood on the wall for nearly half an hour before he decided to go back to the Hokage's office. He would tell the old man nothing of this, not until he worked through what he'd learned today, and not unless something Naruto did put him at risk for discovery. He owed his sensei's child that and much more, but it was a start.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Free time was something that Naruto had had quite a bit of over the last several years, and would until he started the academy, but he'd learned to fill it with worthwhile things. He'd continued the exercises Itachi had left for him in secret along with the scrolls he'd taken from his parent's house, but recently Inu had taken to training with him in his free time. He'd just shown up one day in the training field Naruto used when he wasn't hanging out with Hitomi and Hinata and begun to critique Naruto on his taijutsu forms. He'd never offered an explanation as to why he would sacrifice his spare time to help Naruto, but every so often Naruto would catch the masked ANBU staring at him intently as he did his exercises. Initially he was wary of Inu, but as several weeks went by without anything bad happening he began to relax around the nearly silent man.

When Naruto wasn't training with Inu, he retreated deep into the forest and worked on the scrolls he'd taken from the house. The earth move technique was relatively easy to start, but had taken him several days to perfect to a usable level. His first few tries had been somewhat memorable, with one particularly bad attempt causing him to bang into the roots of several trees when he failed to sink deep enough into the ground, and another attempt nearly causing him to panic when he overpowered the technique and sunk deeper into the ground than he meant to. It took him nearly five minutes to claw his way up out of the earth, and he hadn't tried the technique again for nearly a week after that.

The scroll with the shadow clone techniques was by far the most interesting to him. The first technique was the Shadow Shuriken technique, something very similar to how he made shadow clones but targeted toward a thrown kunai or shuriken, and he'd managed to get that down passably. The other three techniques, however, were a disaster. The shadow barrier technique wouldn't stay up for more than a fraction of a second, and he still couldn't figure out how to get the other two to work at all. The last technique on the scroll had a warning against inexperienced users that Naruto didn't see until he read through it a second time, and his single attempt at the technique had left him gasping on the ground, vision graying out for more than an hour. When he'd finally been able to sit up, he vowed not to work on the technique again until he had more experience and could either figure out the principles behind it or talk to someone who already knew it.

The text on sealing was surprisingly complex, even as a beginner text, but Naruto had been slowly working on it in his spare time. Because there was no visible aspect to it yet, just theory, he could read it in between workouts at his normal training ground, and he'd taken to carrying it with him whenever he went out in the mornings.

Naruto had been in the middle of a break five weeks after his foray into the house, working through the theory behind basic storage seals when he heard someone coming into the training grounds. As it wasn't one of the normal times for Inu to show up, Naruto looked up warily and quickly put away the sealing text. His expression quickly shifted from wary to surprised as the sobbing figure of Hinata launched itself at him. He caught her reflexively, unsure what to do about the sobbing girl.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" He asked frantically. It took her a second to speak, and Naruto could barely understand her words through the sobs.

"Father h-he..the jyuuken…f-failed" Her disjointed words continued for a minute before tapering off into more sobbing. From what little Naruto had pieced together, her father had been particularly harsh on her as she failed to grasp a basic Jyuuken technique, and it had finally pushed the gentle girl over the edge. She'd fled the compound, and apparently come out here to find him.

Naruto held Hinata awkwardly as she clung to him and sobbed, not knowing what to do. After nearly half an hour her sobs slowly died away and her grip loosened on him, but when he looked down to see if she was done crying he noticed her eyes were closed and her breathing was more even. He frowned slightly at the sight, wondering how he was going to explain this to her family, when two more figures came into the clearing. At first he thought the man was Hiashi, and he felt a surge of irritation at the Hyuuga patriarch for his treatment of Hinata, but the soft expression on the man's face and the forehead protector identified him as Hizashi, and his anger abated slowly. Behind him came Hitomi, and for the first time since Naruto had met her she wasn't smiling at all. She had a grim look on her face, and Naruto almost reflexively shrunk back from her slightly. She noticed his reaction, and her face softened slightly as she took in the sight of her daughter sleeping in Naruto's arms.

"Thank you for taking care of her Naruto" She said softly as she came forward to take Hinata from him. "It's been a very hard day for her."

Naruto could only nod slightly, and he knew his expression was hard.

"It's all right. I just hope she's alright" He said softly. Hitomi didn't respond beyond a sad nod, and she turned to leave the clearing. As Hizashi turned to walk away with her Naruto called out to him.

"Sir" Naruto called. "Can I talk to you?"

Hizashi hesitated for a moment, looking at Hitomi, but she motioned him towards Naruto and continued to walk out of the clearing. Hizashi walked back to the boy, and looked at him questioningly.

Naruto took a deep breath to center himself. He'd made the decision not to pry into Hinata's training when he'd first began hanging out with her and Hitomi, but after today he'd reconsidered. Something was wrong there, and it was hurting his friend severely.

"Sir, why does your brother try to force her to do things that don't work?" Naruto asked bluntly. Hizashi's eyes widened fractionally before he responded.

"My niece does not….does not grasp the intricacies of the Jyuuken with the ease my brother would prefer." Hizashi said carefully. Naruto only snorted slightly.

"She knows how they work for him, sir. They just don't work for her." Naruto said. It seemed obvious to him after watching Hinata with her father so many times, but apparently it wasn't so clear for others. Hizashi's confused look caused him to sigh.

"Watch" He said. A chain extended from his hand to a series of wooden posts lying on the ground at the edge of the clearing and snaked around three of them, pulling them towards the boy. Hizashi watched intently as Naruto used his bloodline, and Naruto noticed he'd activated his bloodline at some point.

" _What is it with doujutsu users and my chains?_ " He thought, amused. He planted the posts in a line about three feet in front of him, and turned to Hizashi.

"This is what you do" He said, and thrust his hand forward. A chain leapt in a straight line from his hand and struck the first post. The spear-tipped chain punched straight through the first post, then the second, and finally struck deeply into the third. Naruto allowed the chain to dissipate, looking intently at Hizashi to see what his reaction was. The older man had furrowed his brows slightly, but still seemed to be giving him the benefit of the doubt. Naruto turned back to the posts.

"This is what Hinata does" He said, and thrust his had forward again. This time, instead of striking through the posts with brute force the chain began to turn. It was very slight, but the movement was enough to cause the chain to avoid the first post, and then curl around the second before implanting itself in the exact same place as the first.

Hizashi's brows came up in surprise as he looked at the posts, and he looked at Naruto.

"You're saying she's not strong enough to do the Jyuuken?" He asked skeptically, but Naruto just shook his head.

"No. She's….she's not stiff. When you do the Jyuuken, you're stiff, rigid. She's…flexible?" He said slowly, trying to find the right words. Hizashi's eyes widened to match his brows for a second, and he looked at Naruto as if seeing him for the first time.

"How do you know what I look like when I use Jyuuken?" He asked. Naruto blushed slightly and looked down.

"The walls are shorter than the trees" He mumbled, expecting Hizashi to yell at him. Instead, the white-eyed man just laughed loudly.

"Some 'all-seeing' eyes we have" He said depreciatingly. The corner of Naruto's mouth came up in a small smile, glad that Hizashi didn't seem mad that he'd been watching the compound.

Hizashi's laughter seemed to die as quickly as it came, and he heaved a large sigh.

"I'll look into it, Naruto. I don't know what we'll do if you're right, but if Hinata is truly unsuited to the Jyuuken….well, we'll figure something out." He said, his voice troubled.

Naruto simply nodded to him gratefully. He had worried that Hizashi would simply discard what he was saying because he was younger, but the man seemed to be genuinely considering what Naruto had said.

Hizashi nodded back to Naruto, then turned and left the clearing. Naruto stared at the posts for a moment, then down at his tearstained shirt.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Naruto stood outside of the front doors of the academy building where he would be spending much of his time for the next four years, and looked at Hinata nervously. She was holding onto Hitomi's hand tightly, and her mother was looking at them both with an amused smile on her face.

"It's nothing to be afraid of, you two" She said. "I'm sure you'll learn a lot and make tons of new friends! After all, your future teammates will come from this class." She said brightly, motioning to the other students milling around them. Naruto was feeling nervous about being so close to so many people, but Hitomi and Hinata's presence kept him from bolting.

Naruto heard a loud whistle, and looked over to see a man with brown hair and a scar over his nose waving his hand.

"Students over here, please! We'll be going through orientation in a minute, so please say your goodbyes and come inside!" He yelled out.

Hinata looked at her mother, panicking slightly, but Hitomi gave her a hug and a light push towards the door.

"You'll be fine" She said "Besides, you've got N.. Ruto here with you." She said, almost slipping over his cover name. Naruto gave Hinata a nervous smile which she returned, and squared his shoulders. Hitomi surprised him with a quick hug and a murmured "good luck" before she stepped back, and the two of them moved forward with the rest of the class. The man, who introduced himself as Iruka, led them into the second classroom on the left of the first floor, and they filed in and began to sit down.

Naruto was walking towards the far wall, Hinata right behind him, when he stumbled over the foot of one of the students who had just taken their seat. As he stumbled he turned slightly and his shoulder banged into the desk, pushing it backwards into the chest of the person he'd tripped over.

He stood up quickly, and apologized to the boy, who looked at him as if he were something disgusting. Naruto just raised an eyebrow in response, and began walking back toward his intended seats in the upper corner before he heard a muttered "freak" from the boy. His eyebrows narrowed in anger at the insult, but Hinata's presence behind him kept him moving forward, but not from glaring at the back of the boy's head when he finally sat down. Iruka began to take roll call, and Naruto heard the boy call out "here" when the name "Uchiha Sasuke" was called. Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he realized that this was Itachi's brother.

" _I said I'd protect the village for him. Doesn't mean I have to like everybody in it_ " he told himself internally. As he tried to pay attention to the orientation, he was constantly distracted by the whispers of several of the girls around them. They all seemed to be about the dark-haired jerk from what he could tell, and every time he heard them his mood grew steadily worse. These were the people he was supposed to trust with his life in four years?

" _This is going to be a long four years_ "

Review if you get a chance!


	4. Chapter 3: Close Calls

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the stuff from canon. If anyone** ** _does_** **own them and wants to give me an early christmas gift, you know what to give me!**

A/N: Someone pointed out that the names for ninjutsu sounds cooler in japanese Romaji, and I agree, so I started using that. We'll see how faithful to it I am, but for now thats the standard! This chapter is a little shorter, but school kicked my ass a bit harder than normal, so i took it a little easy with the writing. Special thanks go to Winona Lighteyes and jdr733552, both of whom have responded to my rambling PM's about the Naruto universe and helped me shape up some ideas for later chapters. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 3**

For Naruto, the academy was a series of interesting lessons interspersed between mind-numbingly boring periods of lectures he already knew. Itachi's lessons hadn't been comprehensive, mostly focusing on jutsu theory and combat tactics, but he'd been an exceptionally thorough teacher in the subjects that he'd chosen, and for Naruto that meant that much of the basic theory taught in the academy was already known. He did find the history lessons interesting, and the description of the founding of the village and its four Hokage's to date had been riveting for the young boy. Iruka had a gift for storytelling, and hearing someone describe his father in such glowing terms brought a warm feeling to his chest.

His worst area was, by far, geometry. Itachi had spent a large amount of time honing his instinctive ability to track things in a 3D environment, but he didn't know _how_ he did it, he just did. When Iruka began teaching them how to calculate things like parabolic arcs, Naruto could often get the answers but couldn't show how he got them, and his marks suffered as a consequence. It seemed to frustrate Iruka to no end that Naruto's theoretical knowledge of the subject was so far ahead of his practical knowledge, but to Naruto it seemed a waste of time to try and calculate something he could just feel instinctively, and Iruka gave up after a month of trying. Now he simply ignored Naruto's scores on geometry quizzes except for a little tick in the corner of his forehead, something that secretly amused Naruto to no end.

Naruto had, despite his initial misgivings, managed to strike up a tentative friendship with several people in the class, and as a result of her closeness to him Hinata had been included as well. There were a disproportionate number of clan heirs and heiresses in the group, but for the most part they took Naruto's clan less status without blinking, possibly because of how close he was to the Hyuuga heiress. For her part, although Hinata's stuttering had decreased perceptibly (at least around Naruto) since the time she'd rushed sobbing into the clearing, she was still prone to listening rather than speaking, and it was rare to see her more than a few yards away from Naruto during school hours.

The one area that Naruto could honestly say rankled was the class "genius", Uchiha Sasuke. At every juncture they seemed to butt heads, and the dark-haired boy's arrogance continually grated on Naruto's nerves.

Naruto was sitting at lunch one day two months into the semester watching the Uchiha being fawned over by several of his local 'fan girl' contingent when he felt someone sit next to him. He turned slightly to see the Aburame heir, glasses in place, nod towards the Uchiha heir slightly.

"Not unlike the reaction of bees to a blooming flower, is it not?" He said in a low voice. Naruto snorted at the image of the arrogant boy as a 'blooming flower', but couldn't deny the similarities.

"Closer to moths drawn to a flame. Bee's get nectar from the flowers they find, right?" Naruto said. He vividly remembered the one time he'd tried to take honey from a bee hive while he was living in the forest. It turned out that chains were wholly ineffective against angry bees, and he'd never tried again.

Shino's eyebrows raised slightly in what Naruto had come to recognize as his version of a smile at the comment, and he could hear a delicate giggle from Hinata on his other side. The Aburame heir had been the first person to befriend Naruto, possibly because he was the only other person wearing glasses in class, and his stoic presence had been a balm to Naruto in the face of the simpering fan girls that seemed to make up so much of the female populace. Naruto had quickly found out that Shino, while normally quite a literal speaker, had a cutting sense of humor when he chose to exercise it. The Uchiha heir had offhandedly insulted his bugs during the first week of class, and Naruto was beginning to realize that while Shino was normally unflappable he did _not_ like it when somebody insulted his clan or their insects. He still wasn't sure exactly _how_ Shino had managed to get bugs inside Sasuke's sealed lunch box, but the look on the Uchiha's face had given him pleasant dreams for several days. Since that day Sasuke had been conspicuously avoiding the Aburame heir during class, and when they were paired up for exercises Naruto had noticed that Shino seemed to let his insects swarm more than usual, unnerving his opponent.

"Indeed they do, and from it they make honey" The stoic bug-user replied. "Which begs the question: Why do they swarm to him?"

Naruto just shrugged nonchalantly, used to their behavior by now, even if it still baffled him.

Iruka opened the doors leading out to the yard where all the academy students were sitting and motioned them back inside, and Naruto stood up eagerly. After weeks and weeks of lectures on the theory behind the basic jutsu at the academy, they were finally working on actually _performing_ the techniques they would one day need to pass and become full shinobi. Naruto had, of course, learned all three of the basic academy jutsu from his time with Itachi, but it was the chance to show up the arrogant Uchiha that really had him excited. He had something _special_ planned for the today, and he couldn't wait to see the look on Sasuke's face.

They filed quickly into the classroom as Iruka began to lecture about the exercise, a basic one involving the use of a kawarimi to avoid a blunted kunai. The students were put in pairs, one person throwing the kunai and the other substituting, before switching. Each group would then randomize to give the substituting student a wide range of different kunai-throwing experiences, hopefully increasing their ability to use the technique in the field more effectively.

Naruto was initially paired up with Hinata, but was exasperated when she had trouble bringing herself to attack him.

"Come on, Hinata. It's just a blunted kunai, it's not like it'll do any damage if it hits" He cajoled. Though the last few months had been good for Hinata's confidence (although whether it was the academy itself or just the time away from her demanding father, Naruto didn't know) she was still reluctant to hurt anyone, even in a training exercise, and that tendency seemed to be greatest when it came to Naruto.

Hinata looked down at the kunai in her hands for a moment, and then took a deep breath. Her aim was perfect, and Naruto couldn't help but smile as he made the hand signs for the kawarimi and felt the familiar tugging sensation as he switched places with a nearby log. As he walked back over to Hinata, he could see her eyes moving over him and checking for injuries.

"See, I told you. Not a mark on me." Naruto said softly, watching as Hinata looked down with a slight blush. The signal came for them to change partners, and Naruto leaned forward to lightly squeeze her shoulder in reassurance before moving to stand in front of Shino. He made a subtle "come here" motion with his hand and Shino leaned forward.

"I need a favor" Naruto began, and quickly outlined his plan. The bug user froze for a moment as he finished, and then Naruto witnessed something he'd never thought was possible.

" _He laughed. I didn't even know he_ could _laugh._ " Naruto thought in shock. While the collar of Shino's dark jacket hid his mouth, the evil tone of his laughter made Naruto sure the boy was smiling widely.

Naruto shook himself visibly, and then fell back into position. He spared a quick look at Sasuke who was acting as a kunai thrower at the moment, and nodded at Shino.

Shino raised both arms towards Naruto, but instead of a kunai there was a large dark mass of bugs flying out towards him. He waited until the bugs were almost upon him and then made a hand sign, smirking the entire time. He felt the jutsu take hold just as the bugs obscured his vision, and was suddenly staring at Sasuke's partner. He quickly looked towards the area he'd been with Shino moments before and saw Sasuke, eyes wide in shock, appear in his place. The kikai bugs that had been about to cover Naruto instead coated Sasuke from head to toe until the black haired boy was completely obscured.

There was a moment of absolute silence and shock, and then Sasuke began to scream.

"AAAAAAGH GET THEM OFF GET THEM OFF GET THEM OFF!" He yelled, panicking and spinning around in an attempt to dislodge the swarming insects.

Naruto watched as Shino waited for a few seconds to get the maximum enjoyment out of the scene, and then the bug user began to pull the swarm back towards his body and off of the Uchiha. Sasuke, seeing the entire swarm congealing in one place, immediately began to make hand signs, his face murderous. He took a deep breath, aimed his face towards the swarm and exhaled a head-sized fireball towards the black cloud.

Naruto had a split-second realization as soon as the fireball came into existence as he noticed that the swarm was directly between Sasuke and Shino, placing his friend in the direct path of the oncoming fire jutsu. Acting on instinct, he made a quick hand sign and felt the pull of the kawarimi take hold, switching him with Shino as the fireball roared through the cloud of bugs and continued onwards. Naruto had only moments before the fireball would be on him and a quick glance told him that dodging would not get him far enough away to avoid injury. He squared his shoulders as he faced the inferno arm extended; focusing all of the chakra he could into his hand. A single chain quickly extended from his palm, sprouting successively longer side chains from each link until the entire length looked akin to a drill. He could almost _feel_ the chain as it hit the fire jutsu and split it in half, and as soon as he saw the two halves begin to travel away from each other he dissolved the chain, hoping no one had seen him use his Kekkei Genkai.

Naruto took a moment to collect himself, absently noting that Shino looked unharmed but slightly dazed, and turned to Sasuke. The boy's chest was heaving as he bent over, trying to recover from both the unexpected kawarimi and the fire jutsu, and he didn't look up as Naruto stalked over to him. He grabbed Sasuke by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up face to face.

"Are you insane!?" Naruto shouted angrily at the other boy, his face red.

"You could have killed someone with that fireball, what were you thinking?"

Sasuke looked shocked for a moment as he stared at Naruto before his mind kicked back into full gear, and he roughly shoved the other boy away from him.

"Never lay hands on me, dobe. Someone like you doesn't deserve the privilege." His voice was condescending, and Naruto felt his anger grow at the casual dismissal. He could hear Sasuke's fan club in the background yelling at him for laying hands on the Uchiha, but he ignored them as he focused on the boy.

"Trust me, the last thing I want to do is be anywhere near you Uchiha, but your stupidity nearly got Shino killed. Do you have any idea how close you came to hitting him?" Naruto repeated, somewhat amazed at the level of arrogance the dark haired boy was showing.

"He shouldn't have put his disgusting bugs near me if he didn't want to get burned." Sasuke stated, looking quickly at Shino. Naruto noticed his lip curl with disgust as he looked at the bug user and his self-control snapped. He brought his fist back to swing at Sasuke, only to feel another hand gripping his arm. A quick glance showed him a frowning Iruka looking from Sasuke to Naruto, and he let his arm fall limp. Iruka let go of his arm, but turned to glare at both of them.

"Ruto, no fighting in class." He said causing Sasuke to smirk before he turned to the other boy.

"And Sasuke, the next time you use an elemental combat jutsu in my class I'll kick you out. Ruto was right, you could have killed someone over a small prank." Iruka rebuked, his face angry. Sasuke looked shocked for a moment, then his normal scowl returned stronger than ever. He didn't bother to respond to the teacher, instead choosing to walk away.

Iruka sighed and turned to Naruto.

"Did you have to set him off?" He asked plaintively.

"It was a harmless prank, and he was out of line with that jutsu" Naruto retorted. Iruka just shook his head but let the subject drop. He couldn't argue that Sasuke's response had been excessive, but everything to do with the last Uchiha was a pain in the ass involving the council, something Iruka wanted to avoid if at all possible.

Naruto watched as Iruka called the rest of the class over and sent them home for the day, but couldn't bring himself to talk to Shino. He felt guilty over what had happened, and was worried that his friend might blame him for causing Sasuke's reaction. More than once he'd seen the bond Shino had with his kikai bugs, and his prank on Sasuke had ended with a large number of Shino's insects destroyed, something he was sure the other boy would be displeased about, so he avoided him until he left the academy. He decided that he was too keyed up to go straight home, and since the academy had been let out early he headed for his normal training grounds.

He'd been at the grounds for about an hour practicing dodging shuriken by sinking into the ground with the Moguragakure no Jutsu (Hiding like a Mole) when he noticed a man walk into the clearing. He quickly canceled the clone he was practicing with, and turned to the stranger as he walked over.

Naruto felt a wave of dread pass over him as he saw a man that looked like an older version of Shino (from what little he could see that wasn't covered up) walking towards him.

" _They're probably here because of what happened with Sasuke_ " He thought pensively. He'd been sure Shino was unhappy with him for getting the colony roasted, but didn't think it would cause enough trouble to involve the clan head. He quickly stood up straight and bowed as the man came closer, thankful for the tips that Hitomi had given him about etiquette during some of their lunch excursions.

"Hello Aburame-sama" He said respectfully.

The older man stopped several feet from Naruto and, much to his surprise, dipped his head into a shallow bow.

"Kodama-san. My son has informed me of an altercation that occurred at the academy today between the two of you and the Uchiha heir." His voice was reminiscent of Shino's, flat and with a slight buzzing undertone.

Naruto's face flushed guiltily at the blunt statement.

"S-Sir, I'm sorry. It was supposed to be a small prank, I never meant…I, I mean…I'm sorry." He stuttered out nervously. The other man's eyebrows raised slightly as he rambled out the apology.

"I believe that you have the wrong assumption about my purpose here Kodama-san" he said slowly. "Shino informed me that it was only your timely use of the kawarimi that prevented him from being severely injured by a misused fire jutsu."

Naruto froze as he looked up at the Aburame clan head, and tried to switch gears away from panicked apology.

"I am here to extend to you the thanks of the Aburame clan for protecting my son" the man continued. "Should you ever need the aid of the Aburame clan, you have but to ask" He finished.

Naruto stared at him dumbly for a moment nodding and thanking him. His task completed, Shino's father turned without another word and walked out of the clearing leaving an incredibly confused Naruto in his wake, trying to figure out what had just happened.

It took Naruto several minutes to reboot his overtaxed brain, and as he finally shook himself from his daze he immediately set out towards his apartment.

" _That was hands-down the strangest thing that's happened to me in a while"_ He thought as he made his way home, his distraction ensuring that he failed to notice the figure hidden in the branches of one of the trees surrounding the clearing. Moments after the boy left the training ground the figure turned and disappeared into the forest, only the flash of a red cloud giving any clue to his presence as he ran to meet his contact.

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Itachi wasn't entirely sure what to make of his partner. Hoshigaki Kisame was definitely a skilled ninja, and somewhat easy to work with, but Itachi had never met anyone quite so… _happy_. All the time. It was actually somewhat unnerving, even for the normally stoic Uchiha. They had been partnered up not long after his induction into Akatsuki, their leaders taking his massacre of the Uchiha clan as proof of Itachi's traitor status, and in that entire time Itachi had not seen the man stop smiling even once.

" _That wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have shark teeth_ " Itachi mused.

They were sitting outside a small food stand in a small crossroads hamlet not far from the border between the Fire and Rain countries as they waited for an informant from Konoha, dressed as traveling monks.

"He's late. I wonder if we should break him, just a little. It would show the others to make their rendezvous on time" Kisame said cheerfully, his words at odds with his tone. "It wouldn't even have to hurt that much, I could just feed some of his chakra to Samehada as a warning."

Itachi sighed and spoke in a resigned voice.

"Kisame, that is your response to _everything_. If we damage our informants, we will soon find ourselves without _any_ informants, you know this." This was their third time meeting an Akatsuki informant since Itachi had joined, and each time Kisame had found a reason to suggest that they.. play… with them.

Kisame sighed and looked at Itachi, his sharklike teeth glinting.

"You always say that Itachi. You know, if you lightened up once in a while you'd get much more enjoyment from life. Life is meant to be lived, not endured!" he finished jubilantly, ignoring Itachi's deadpan look.

"Oh look, the chum's here" Kisame motioned with his head, and Itachi saw their informant walk into the hamlet from the front. Itachi frowned at the informant's lack of vigilance when his eyes caught a figure following the man in the distance.

"Kisame, our friend seems to have been lax with his attempts at remaining covert. Would you rather take care of it or should I?" Kisame's looked quickly behind the approaching informant and his eyes narrowed. His smile widened and took on a predatory quality

"Samehada is hungry. You play with the chum, I'm going to go catch some prey" he said, and calmly walked into the shadow of a nearby building before vanishing in a swirl of water. Itachi turned to the informant as he walked to the stand and stood next to him.

"You're late, and you were followed" Itachi said, allowing an undercurrent of annoyance at the man's incompetence to creep into his voice. The informant jerked slightly, then turned to Itachi.

"My associate is taking care of him. Your information." Itachi said coldly, and grabbed the packet the man handed him. He leafed through it quickly, seeing the normal reports of financial activities and council politics, then stopped on a picture. He ruthlessly suppressed his shock before turning to the informant.

"Who is this?" He asked. The nervously sweating informant rushed to answer.

"The Kyuubi jinchuriki sir. I found him." Itachi noted the undercurrent of pride in the man's voice, and stared him in the eyes. He watched the informant's eyes widen as he noticed the activated sharingan, and waited a moment before he spoke again.

"The identity of the Kyuubi jinchuriki has been a mystery since its attack on Konoha, how is it that you've deduced it now? Did the boy use its chakra?" He asked. He had to find out quickly before he could act, and was thankful for once for Kisame's habit of playing with his "food".

"No, but I saw the seal on his body and sensed the chakra underlying his own. My family may not have as many clan techniques as the Inuzuka, but our sensing techniques are better. He smells like the fox, and I would swear on my life that I sensed the fox's chakra underneath the boy's." He spoke quickly, as if trying to ward off Itachi's ire with the sheer speed of his speech.

Itachi stared at the man for several moments, internally debating, and then came to a decision.

"You've done well" He said, throwing him the pouch of coins they'd agreed upon for his service.

"One last thing" Itachi said, causing the man to look up. He caught the informant's gaze with his sharingan, commas spinning quickly, and layered a genjutsu over his mind.

"You never saw the Kyuubi jinchuriki. The Kyuubi jinchuriki is not in Konoha. This boy" He held up the picture of Naruto training in a clearing. "has no connection to the Kyuubi, and you will stay away from him" Itachi finished. The man blinked several times.

"If we have no more business?" Itachi said, his eyebrow arching. The informant looked down at the pouch in his hands and shook his head quickly. Itachi turned and walked away from the stand in the direction the informant had come from, watching for Kisame's chakra with his sharingan.

He found his partner almost a mile off of the road in a copse of trees. The shark man was grinning as usual, and Itachi spared a glance at the body next to him. The Konoha shinobi wasn't familiar, just someone he vaguely thought might have been part of the Sarutobi clan, but he acknowledged that there was no way to prevent the man's death. Kisame would have noticed their watcher only seconds after Itachi did, and the man's sacrifice had further cemented his position with Kisame.

"Anything interesting?" Itachi shook his head.

"Just the usual reports. He didn't know he was being followed so I let him live" Itachi said.

"If you're done?" He inclined his head towards the body.

"Of course! Though he was barely an appetizer" Samehada's scales rustled at that, as if in agreement.

Without acknowledging that last statement Itachi set off towards the road. When they reached the main thoroughfare he tossed the packet to Kisame who began looking through it, never noticing the missing pages.

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Hizashi walked into his brother's office and stood in front of the desk, ignoring the somewhat irritated look that was shot his way.

"What is it Hizashi?" Hiashi asked.

"You can't keep doing this Hiashi." Hizashi said, steel evident in his normally cheerful voice. "You've tested her four separate times and it always comes out the same. Hinata has the water affinity, and trying to force her into traditional Jyuuken is never going to work the way you want it to." He watched as his brother's face grew harder with every word, but he refused to back down on this. Ever since he'd tested Hinata's elemental affinity after his conversation with Naruto, his brother had been digging his feet in harder and harder when it came to Hinata's training, and the punishments for failure he was meting out were becoming borderline abusive.

"I've told you before Hizashi, her affinity isn't the issue. If she tried hard enough she could become proficient in the Jyuuken. After all, I was able to." Hiashi fired back, his tone angry.

Hizashi looked at his brother incredulously.

" _Does he truly not see how unsuited for the Jyuuken she is?_ " He wondered.

"Hiashi, your water affinity was secondary and weak. Hinata's water affinity is one of the strongest I've ever seen, and she has _no_ affinity for earth. At best her second affinity could be lightning, but forcing her into an earth-based style is torture. She isn't lacking proficiency because she's _lazy_ she's lacking proficiency because the style fights her at every step. You'd be better off training someone without the byakugan in the Jyuuken than your daughter!" He said angrily. "If you'd just let me retrieve the Ryudoken scrolls from the archives-"

He barely saw his brother move before he was pinned to the wall, his collar bunched in Hiashi's grip.

" _I_ decide what is best for my daughter, _brother_. You have no say in how my family or this clan is run, and my daughter _will_ learn the Jyuuken or she will be replaced." Hiashi spit out viciously.

Hizashi couldn't respond with his brother's hands at his throat, but after a moment Hiashi let him go. He dropped to the floor as his brother spun away and moved back to the desk, ignoring him. As he pulled himself shakily to his feet and stepped to the doorway he looked back, but his brother never looked up.

" _One day your attitude is going to come back to haunt you Hiashi. I just hope we don't all pay the price for it"_ He thought sadly as he walked out and closed the door.

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Itachi sat alone at a table in one of the seedier bars in the capitol of the Rice country and contemplated the drink in front of him. He habitually avoided alcohol, preferring not to cloud his senses and dull his mind, but sitting in a bar without a drink would draw attention. He didn't move as someone slid into the booth across from him, rather choosing to mimic taking a small sip from the cup in front of him.

"You actually drink that swill?" His new companion asked, grimacing.

Itachi simply tilted the cup towards him, showing that it was still almost full.

"Probably a smart idea. Knowing this place, it's probably more rainwater than sake anyways." The man laughed at his own joke, ignoring Itachi's unchanging expression. "So what have you got for me?" He asked jovially.

"Not much change" Itachi responded, ignoring the attempts at levity. "We're mostly doing mercenary work for now, building capitol. I'm not sure for what, but considering the number of S-ranked missions we've taken on the amount of capital we've earned is substantial, at least 15 or 16 million, and they show no signs of stopping." His contact nodded, writing down the information on a small pad.

"And the other goal?" He asked.

"Just surveillance for now. They're not going after any of the containers for some reason. Most of them are content to just follow orders and rack up money for now, but I doubt anyone but the leader has any idea about the ultimate goal." Itachi told him in a low voice, his lips barely moving. He hesitated a moment, and then continued.

"There was a breach." He said, noticing his contact stiffen. "One of the informants found out the Kyuubi's location. I took care of it, but you should know they don't buy that the Yondaime killed it." Itachi reached into his coat and pulled out the pages he'd removed from the packet on Konoha. He put them on the table, and watched as the other man read through them quickly.

"Damn. You're sure you plugged the leak?" Itachi nodded and the other man sighed.

"I'll let them know they need to step up the patrols around the village." He said, and then hid the papers inside his own bag.

"I need to get going. Spy networks don't run themselves and all that." He said as he stood up, his long white hair swaying behind him.

"You know where the next meet is?" He asked Itachi, who simply nodded again.

"Well then, good luck." With that he walked out the front door of the bar, leaving Itachi with his thoughts.

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Naruto struggled to pull himself to his feet, panting after taking a strong kick to the stomach. Ten yards away Inu was making short work of a half-dozen of his kage bushin, dodging their chain attacks and casually redirecting them so that they his other clones as they missed. In the fifteen seconds or so that it took Naruto to get his breath back after being hit, his dozen clones were cut, stabbed, clubbed, or otherwise demolished. Naruto winced slightly as the memories of their defeat flowed back into him. He'd been sparring with Inu for the better part of twenty minutes and had yet to make the ANBU so much as breath heavily. Originally he had been going for non-lethal tactics, afraid of hurting his training partner, but as the spar had gone on he'd upgraded once it became clear that anything less than his best would be completely useless against the older ninja. Not that his best was doing much better, but at least he was getting some good experience out of it.

Naruto made a quick sign and another dozen kage bushin popped into existence around him, and he switched places with one of the newly created clones while the smoke was still obscuring Inu's vision in order to hide his true position. He'd quickly learned that a frontal assault was useless, and had been trying to surround and flank his target in order to increase his chances. He and his clones spread out around Inu in a circle, the ANBU appearing to watch them all simultaneously (although it was hard to tell with the mask). At an unseen signal half of the clones rushed in towards Inu, and the other half immediately sent a series of chains towards their target in support. He'd tried this strategy twice before with no results, but this time he had a plan. He smiled as the first clones reached Inu.

" _Let's see how you deal with this_ "

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Kakashi casually dodged one clone's jab and ducked under an incoming chain while chopping its neck, dispelling it, and looked up to see several more chains coming towards him. He frowned slightly at the tactic, disappointed that Naruto would continue to try something that had already failed twice. It was something he'd rarely seen, as the boy was normally quick to improvise, even if some of his improvisations were downright crazy. The first wave of chains retracted as he dispelled another clone, and then shot forward for a second go, just like the other two times.

" _Maybe he's having an off day?_ " Kakashi wondered before he caught the outer ring of clones, the chain users, making a series of hand signs.

" _Shuriken Kage Bushin? But I don't see any shuriken to…CRAP"_ He thought as the incoming chains began to multiply. The full length of the chain wasn't replicated, only the last foot or so, but as that was the spear-tipped portion he was immediately inundated with a hail of spear-tipped chains. Worse, as there were multiple real chains mixed in, a simple doton wall would be unable to stop them all.

Signing quickly, Kakashi drew a large measure of chakra into his lungs and exhaled heavily. The chakra turned the air in his lungs into a disproportionately large amount of water, water that formed into the visage of a dragon as it came from his throat. The Suiryudan no Jutsu curled around him protectively for a moment then whipped around him quickly. The chakra infused water blew away the incoming chains and the closest clones before moving in a circle out to the outer layer of clones. As the water cleared it left a heavily breathing Kakashi behind, unable to believe that he'd been forced to use a B-rank jutsu to fend off an academy student. He looked around quickly for Naruto before he noticed the still form of his opponent lying where the outer ring of clones had been.

" _The hokage's going to be pissed_ " He thought as he ran to check on the boy.

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When Naruto opened his eyes he was greeted by the sight of the same dank tunnel that he'd seen several years before after he'd been stabbed rescuing Hinata. He wearily pulled his body to his feet and started off down the tunnel, wondering what had happened to send him here. The last thing he remembered was trying to catch Inu off guard with his Kage Fusa technique. He was very proud of the modifications he'd made the kage shuriken, temporarily modifying his chains to mimic what he'd done to the Kumo shinobi, but if Inu's reaction was anything to go by his pride was probably justified.

Naruto walked up to the same bars he'd seen last time and just like before the giant eye opened before the rest of the Kyuubi came into view.

" **I was wondering when I would see you again kit"** The demon rumbled.

"What made you think I would come back here?" Naruto asked, his voice skeptical.

" **You have a habit of pissing people off, and not always people weaker than you. I knew sooner or later you'd bite off more than you could chew, and it looks like I was right. Maybe you should look into more defensive techniques than offensive if you're going to keep standing in the line of fire of powerful jutsu"** The fox chuckled as he looked at Naruto whose face was turning red as he was reminded of Inu's response to his Kage Fusa.

"It's not like I stand in front of them on purpose, furball." Naruto had to jump back immediately as several giant claws gauged the ground he'd been standing on.

" **Respect, kit. I may be jailed in here, but you should still show your superiors the respect they deserve"** The Kyuubi growled out angrily. Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but closed it when he considered his situation. He was stuck inside…wherever this was with the Kyuubi, and he wasn't 100% sure that the seal would hold if the demon got angry enough.

"So am I going to end up here every time I get knocked out? Because, not that you're not interesting and all, but that would be annoying." Naruto said after a pause to look around. "Plus this place is kind of a dump". For some reason the Kyuubi began laughing as he said that.

" **This 'dump' is your mind kit."** It managed to get out between laughs. Naruto scowled at him.

"What do you mean this is my mind!? There's no way my mind is this….damp" Naruto said angrily.

" **It's a representation** ** _inside_** **your mind. If you concentrate, you can change it."** The Kyuubi said. Naruto stared at it doubtfully.

" **Try it if you don't believe me. You could make it anything you want, any place you can think of. Even that clearing you're so fond of."** Naruto looked at the Kyuubi for a moment, then at the dank sewer around him.

 _"_ _If I've gotta be here…_ " He thought, and then pictured the clearing he'd just been in. He concentrated on the image as hard as he could, closing his eyes to block out any distractions, and only stopped when he heard the Kyuubi laughing evilly.

 **"** **FREEDOME!"** It shouted, and Naruto suddenly noticed that he'd failed to include the Kyuubi's prison in his new image. He looked at the giant fox fearfully, and turned to run. Before he could move more than a couple of steps the Kyuubi threw itself forward, jaws open. Just when Naruto was sure he would end up as fox kibble there was a large shimmer in the air and the same bars that held the Kyuubi away from him in the dank tunnel flared into being between the Kyuubi and Naruto. The fox hit the bars with a resounding crash and bounced off, a surprised look on the vulpine face. As soon as the fox was more than a few feet from the bars they disappeared, but as soon as the fox tried to charge Naruto again they reappeared. Finally the fox simply sat several yards away from Naruto, his slit-pupil eyes watching. Naruto slowly pulled himself up, and stared at the fox accusingly.

"You tricked me!" The fox simply raised one eyebrow.

" **I** ** _tried_** **to trick you. And it's not like you can blame me, I was stuck in that dank pit for over half a decade. You'd do the same"** It said in a conversational tone. It disturbed Naruto how easily the being could switch from bloodthirsty animal to calm conversationalist.

"I can definitely blame you. You tried to _eat_ me." Naruto accused.

" **You're my jailor, and your death would free me. I had a chance and I took it."** The calm way the Kyuubi was talking about his death was starting to get to Naruto.

"Maybe I should put you back in that dank cell" Naruto said, beginning to grow angry as the adrenaline from his near-death wore off. The Kyuubi simply smiled.

" **Maybe you should. But you're forgetting something kit."** The smile grew impossibly wide. **"I brought you here."** The Kyuubi blew out a huge breath, and Naruto felt a tug as he was pulled from the Kyuubi's prison.

After the Kyuubi had ejected Naruto from the mindscape, it looked around at the new surroundings.

" **Not bad."** It said in a satisfied tone, and moved cautiously towards the bars that had appeared before. Without Naruto around the bars failed to appear, and the Kyuubi moved off into the woods surrounding the clearing, eager to stretch its legs after so long in captivity.

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Naruto woke up coughing just in time for Inu to slap him in the face again.

"Wake up kid!" The ANBU said, shaking him roughly. As soon as Naruto's eyes opened the shaking stop.

"Oh thank Kami" Inu breathed, relieved. "I thought you'd drowned" Naruto glared at him.

"Maybe if you didn't try to drop a lake on me I wouldn't have almost drowned." Inu looked sheepish, or at least as sheepish as you could behind a full-face mask.

"Um, well….best two out of three?" He asked, causing Naruto to groan. His entire body felt like one giant bruise, and whatever he'd done to change the Fox's prison had exhausted him even more. He just shook his head at Inu and stood shakily.

"No thank you. I need a hot bath and some sleep" He said, and Inu grabbed his arm to steady him.

"Maybe next time" Inu said, laughter underlying his voice, but Naruto just snorted. It took them almost thirty minutes to cover what was normally a fifteen minute walk back to the apartment block, but the bath at the end was worth it. Naruto could swear he felt his muscles unclench one by one as he sank into the hot water, and he vowed that the next time Inu sparred with him he would find a way to get back at him for how beat up he felt.

One floor above, Kakashi paused as a shiver went down his spine.


	5. Chapter 4: Carnival

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but would greatly enjoy doing so. Alternatively you could just give me chocolate.**

 **A/N: As always, thank you for reviewing and shoutouts to Winona, jdr, and Gold Testament for helping me with ideas. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 4 (Carnival)**

Kakashi stared at Hiruzen from behind his mask, a defiant expression on his face.

"You're one of the best we have Kakashi." Hiruzen said tiredly. Kakashi felt a moment of regret at the thought of making the Hokage's job more stressful, but this decision had been a long time coming.

"Why now?" Hiruzen asked, his voice neutral. Kakashi hesitated a moment before speaking.

"I've been a part of ANBU for almost 10 years sir." He began slowly. "the average time period an ANBU serves before either dying or burning out is half that." Hiruzen frowned thoughtfully, but motioned him to continue.

"I need a change of scenery. Returning to regular Jonin duties will give me that, and besides.." He smirked slightly at the old man. "you need someone to keep your favorite redhead out of trouble"

Hiruzen's expression moved from frown to a full-blown scowl. Kakashi knew the old man had tried to have a handler follow Naruto when he wasn't in the academy as a security measure but if half the stories Kakashi had heard were true the kid was a ghost when he went anywhere near the forest. The assignment had become something of a punishment for wayward shinobi that had caught the Hokage's ire, and caused him no shortage of trouble.

"What makes you so sure you could keep up with him? Last time I checked, he's quite experienced at avoiding you as well." Hiruzen asked grumpily.

"I know where he lives, and after our last….altercation he's been relatively obedient around me"

That finally drew a smile out of the Hokage. The "altercation" had started after the duel where Naruto had forced Kakashi to defend himself with a Suiryudan, and had taken the form of a prank war between the two. At first Kakashi had simply disarmed several traps Naruto had laid around his training grounds and apartment, but had drawn the line when Naruto had managed to get inside his living room and burned several of his precious books. After Naruto had woken up in a room filled ankle-deep with bee hives and his bed covered in honey, Kakashi had found a white flag pinned to his doorway and Naruto had been noticeably skittish when it came to the older ANBU.

"Besides" Kakashi continued with a sigh "You know the council is going to push for putting me back on normal duty anyways so that I can train the Uchiha heir in how to properly utilize the sharingan. This way, you can use my resignation from the ANBU as political capitol and get something for a concession you were already going to make."

Hiruzen's scowl came back in full force as he was reminded of the council and the pressure they had been putting on him over Kakashi's assignment to the ANBU. While the Hokage had the final say as to the disposition of his active-duty forces, their constant "requests" for Kakashi's reassignment had been a headache for quite some time. If Kakashi was willing to switch back to regular duty of his own will, Hiruzen could use his reassignment as coin to get some things through the notoriously hidebound civilian council.

" _And the shock of me actually giving them what they want might give Danzo and my 'advisors' a heart attack from the shock."_ He smirked. If only he could be so lucky.

"Fine, I'll approve your request after the next council meeting and make sure you have no long-term assignments before then." Hiruzen said, stamping the request papers but putting them aside until he could speak to the council.

"What do you plan to do in the meantime? You know they won't be graduating for two more years, unless something extraordinary happens." Hiruzen asked the cyclopean jonin.

"I'll take some C or B ranks, something fun" He replied easily. After nearly 10 years of A and S rank mission, anything he took as a regular jonin should be a walk in the park. "And I'll continue playing around with the boy in the meantime. He's really come a long way." Kakashi said, causing Hiruzen to raise his eyebrows. He hadn't been paying much attention to Naruto's actions outside the academy, where he was in the upper middle of the class.

"Really? His grades are alright, but I would think the Uchiha heir was more impressive based on the academy scores." Surprise colored his voice, but Kakashi simply smiled widely.

"I've seen him in the academy a few times and heard Iruka talk about him. He hates the academic portion with a passion, but in a field exercise he's amazing." Kakashi knew he sounded like a proud parent, but after the amount of time he'd spent sparring with the boy and who his father was he felt a sense of responsibility for Naruto.

"I still haven't been able to figure out who was training him before he came out of the forest, but they managed to give him an incredible grasp of the basics. He's definitely a kinesthetic learner more than an academic one, but he keeps me on my toes whenever we spar and he never loses the same way twice. It was a bit touch and go breaking him of the habit of relying on his chains, but now that he has….in a decade he may very well be stronger than you are." Kakashi finished, enjoying the surprised look on the old man's face. It wasn't often he became so invested in anyone, but Naruto had proven himself more than deserving over the last two years.

"Then I may just have something to look forward to during the Parent's Day tournament, eh?" Hiruzen said, his expression turning thoughtful. The academy had been preparing for the tournament for the last two weeks and while it was nominally against the rules to bet on the outcome he knew that didn't stop most people from placing wagers. He'd originally thought that the Uchiha would be a shoe-in to win based on the reports from the academy, but if Kakashi was right he was looking forward to watching the confrontation between Sasuke and Naruto. At the very least it would give him some ammunition to use against the councilors pushing for more preferential treatment for Sasuke citing his "top student" status along with being the last (openly) loyal Uchiha.

Hiruzen looked back at Kakashi and motioned towards the door.

"Alright Kakashi, you've got a week until the council meets, do with it what you will. In the meantime I'm assigning you as a temporary instructor to Kodama. I want to see a good showing at the tournament next week, but keep it low key. I don't need people asking questions about why one of my best ANBU is paying attention to a clanless orphan." Kakashi nodded, and then walked out of the door.

Hiruzen was more than a little surprised at how much he was looking forward to the upcoming tournament. After all, Konoha may have been at peace for several years, but a good crop of ninja would mean better protection for the village and more income, something to look forward to.

" _And maybe"_ He thought as he looked at the stacks of paperwork covering the desk. " _One of them will take this hat from me and I can finally retire!"_ The thought kept him smiling through nearly half a dozen forms.

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Naruto pulled himself slowly to his knees as he tried to get rid of the ringing in his ears and stared at the crater in front of him. Where only seconds before there had been a training post and one of his kage bushin now only a crater with blackened edges remained.

" _Ok, so ten feet is too close. Next time stand farther away"_ He gave the crater another long look " _MUCH further away"_

The explosion felt like it had rattled his bones, but he thought he'd finally managed to get the technique down to a usable level, and he hadn't had a dud explosion in the last fifteen tries. The Bushin Daibakuha had been at the end of the scroll on advanced chakra control techniques that Itachi had given to him the day of the Uchiha massacre, but it had taken him over a year to get the technique to give off so much as a puff of smoke. Initially all he'd gotten for his efforts was a series of clones that distorted before popping away, but after many months of effort he finally felt comfortable with the technique!

Just as he finally managed to stagger up to his feet he heard someone clapping behind him, and he turned to find someone standing at the edge of the clearing. He immediately recognized the shock of white hair as Inu, nothing could disguise that, but it took a moment for the other details to filter past Naruto's explosion-addled mind.

" _He's not wearing a mask!?"_ He finally managed as he noticed the absence of his normal dog-etched faceplate. The ANBU still had a cloth mask that covered his mouth and nose, and his forehead protector covered one eye, but for the first time Naruto could make out some of the features of the man he'd been sparring against for so long.

The older shinobi's eyes flicked over the crater for a second before returning to Naruto, and he tensed. Inu had a habit of attacking without any warning, and Naruto had received more than his fair share of bruises and cuts from assuming there would be some sort of starting sign before the spar began. Instead of attacking, however, Inu spoke to Naruto for the first time since he'd first shown up in the Hokage's office.

"It packs quite a punch. Where did you learn that jutsu?" The question was innocuous, but Naruto tensed anyways. He'd managed to avoid letting anyone know about his association with Itachi so far, but he hadn't seen anyone use the technique besides the 'traitor' Uchiha.

"From a scroll I found" He said, hoping that Inu would simply let the subject lie. Inu stared at him for several moments and Naruto could almost feel the tension in the air between them, but Inu suddenly shrugged and it dissipated.

"Impressive. Learning something like that on your own shows talent, but don't use it inside the village if you can help it. The last person to use that technique isn't very well liked in Konoha." It took every bit of willpower for Naruto to avoid tensing up at the oblique reference to Itachi, but he managed to keep his posture neutral as he nodded.

"So why.." Naruto trailed off as he pointed to Inu's face, and it seemed to take a second for the older man to understand the question.

"Oh, the mask! It fell off when I was helping walk some cats and I decided I didn't need it anymore." For a moment Naruto simply stared at him, but there was no change in his expression or posture to indicate he was lying, confusing him greatly.

"I thought ANBU weren't supposed to show their faces?" Naruto said skeptically. " _Well I guess he's still wearing a mask, just not the normal one"._

"I'm retired, as of next week at least" came the easy reply. "In the meantime I'm your babysitter."

Naruto's expression immediately darkened at the thought of needing a minder. He had survived on his own in the woods for two years; he didn't need someone to hold his hand! He opened his mouth to protest, but a small part in the back of his mind concerned only with self-preservation flashed an image of his bedroom filled with angry bees and his mouth snapped shut. Judging by the eye smile that had been on the other man's face, it had been obvious what halted his objections. Naruto sighed dejectedly.

"So what now? Are you going to follow me around like the other 'babysitters' the Hokage assigned?" Naruto wasn't sure how someone showing only one eye could look sadistic, but Inu had definitely pulled it off.

"Not quite. You know there's a tournament at the academy next week?" Naruto nodded. They'd been helping to prepare for the event for the last two weeks, so it would have been hard to miss. "Well it's my job to make sure that you're prepared." Naruto relaxed marginally. If that was all he wanted to do, it couldn't be all that bad. After all, they'd been sparring for almost two years, what more could he do?

Inu reached behind his back and Naruto tensed, expecting the normal barrage of kunai and shuriken, only for him to pull out a familiar object. Naruto immediately groaned as the familiar shape of training weights came into view. He'd continued the regimen that Itachi had started him on, but the weights Inu was holding were near the top of the spectrum, and he could almost feel his muscles twitching in protest at the thought of doubling his normal burden.

"First, we give you some fun accessories." Inu said cheerfully as he walked over to Naruto and watched him strap on the extra weight. Burden securely in place, Naruto looked up wearily.

"And after that?" He asked, already dreading the answer. He could swear the outline of the smile under Inu's mask grew wider as the older shinobi drew several kunai out of a pouch on his waist. The way he was holding them made it difficult for Naruto to tell if they were blunted or not.

"Dodge!"

Naruto began cursing.

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Naruto was still cursing the next day as he walked towards Ichiraku's to meet up with Hitomi and Hinata, as well as wincing every few steps as his clothes rubbed against sensitive sting marks. When Inu (who'd introduced himself as Kakashi before letting Naruto go home the previous day) had decided he was finished with "evasion" practice (or more likely when he'd run out of kunai), he had taken Naruto into the woods and told him that he was going to work on his aim with kunai and shuriken. What he hadn't told Naruto until the last moment was that he expected Naruto to hit small moving targets as practice, and that the targets were enraged bees that he'd irritated by using a small suiton jutsu to rock their hive. Naruto was mature enough to admit that he _had_ gotten better at tracking targets in flight as a result, but that didn't make the myriad of painful marks on his body feel any better.

He suppressed the pain as he entered Ichiraku's and felt a small smile stretch his lips as he saw Hitomi and Hinata talking about something quietly. Despite their best efforts Hitomi and Naruto hadn't managed to alleviate Hinata's confidence issues, but when it was just around the two of them or her uncle Hizashi Hinata was almost a completely different person. She was still soft spoken, but her stutter was almost nonexistent and Naruto had learned that there was a core of iron inside the girl that most people missed because of her shy mannerisms.

Hinata was the first to spot Naruto and waved him over to the table, smiling as he sat down.

"Hello Ruto" Hitomi said as he sat down, still hesitating slightly over his name. Even after two years she still had difficulties using his shortened name. "Training hard yesterday?" She asked as she caught him wincing as he sat down.

"Inu was helping me train for the tournament." Naruto said as he nodded, unsure if he was allowed to reveal the other shinobi's identity even if he was retiring from the ANBU. "He likes to use bees." Naruto said in a flat voice, and Hitomi had to hold her sides as she laughed. He wasn't sure how, but Hitomi had found out about the incident with the bees in his bedroom and would occasionally make subtle jokes about it. He scowled at her, but his expression eased into one of self-depreciation as he saw Hinata giggle softly.

"I'm sure you'll both do wonderfully." She said warmly, and Naruto shrugged and turned quickly to place his order.

"I'll do my best, but I don't know how it'll turn out. Not like Hinata, she's got the girls division locked up." He said as he pointed at a now-blushing Hinata. Hitomi's eyebrows rose slightly as she looked at Naruto with a sly smile.

"That confidant in Hinata, are you?" Naruto simply looked her straight in the eyes.

"Of course" He replied easily, making Hinata's blush climb higher. "She's strong, and the rest of the girls in our class are.." Naruto paused as he searched for a word that would encompass the fangirls that made up much of the female student population at the academy. "loud" He said after a moment, causing Hitomi to frown slightly.

"Loud?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Yes, loud. They don't pay attention, they don't practice even in class, much less outside, and they spend the majority of their time yelling. Either it's to tell everyone how great the Uchiha is or at each other to determine who 'deserves' him. It hurts my ears." He explained, wincing at the memory of some of the louder matches between Haruno and the Yamanaka heir. Between the two of them he was honestly surprised he wasn't deaf.

Hitomi scowled for a moment at the mention of the Uchiha heir and Naruto's assessment of his female teammates, but then her face lit up with a wide smile as she glanced between Naruto and Hinata.

"So loud girls aren't your thing Ruto?" She asked coyly, and her smile widened even more as Naruto shook his head distractedly as Ayame placed a bowl of ramen in front of him.

"I guess quiet girls would be more to your tastes then? More pleasant to be around?" Naruto nodded with a confused look on his face, then blushed heavily as Hitomi looked from him to Hinata, who's blush now threatened to get her confused with a humanoid tomato.

"Mother!" She hissed at Hitomi, but the older Hyūga just broke out laughing again as Naruto just sputtered and looked down, embarrassed.

"You two are just too easy" She said as her laughter died down, and she looked fondly at both of them. Finally she took pity on them both and changed the subject back to the tournament.

"So Inu has been helping you train for the tournament, have you done anything besides target practice" She asked, and Naruto muttered "dodging" quietly before shuddering and clearing his throat and looking around quickly to make sure nobody else was around.

"Just helping me work on some of my taijutsu. I can't really use my bloodline without drawing attention so he's been helping me learn to fight without it." Naruto scowled slightly. "It feels weird, like fighting with only one leg, but he says it will help me in the long run." Hitomi nodded

"He's right" She said, her voice firm. "The more you know about how people without your gifts fight, the better you can anticipate them. Remember, for a ninja every bit of knowledge is another weapon you have to fall back on in dangerous times." Her voice took on a lecturing quality at the end, and Naruto was reminded of Itachi saying something similar more than once. He lifted another bite of ramen and part of his sleeve fell back, exposing the yellow-banded weight strapped to his wrist. Hitomi caught the flash of color out of the corner of her eye and turned to him.

"Inu has you using those old weights?" She asked, her voice curious as Naruto held out an arm and showed both Hyūgas the weights that were held in place there.

"I was already using one set." Naruto replied, and pulled his sleeve up higher to show another set, this one banded red. "He just added more to it." Hitomi's eyes widened for a moment before her face grew speculative.

"You know, I've always wondered if something like that would help the Hyūga with Jyuuken. Our lack of stamina has always been such a problem in extended fights…" Her voice trailed off as she became lost in thought until Naruto spoke again.

"Well… I have an old set I could let you use if you'd like?" He said hesitantly "It wouldn't be much weight for you Hitomi-san, but for Hinata it should be around the right size" As he spoke Hitomi looked at her daughter, her eyes calculating, before nodding.

"I think that would be a good idea Ruto. It would be best if we waited until after the tournament so we don't throw off her balance too much, but I think that she would benefit from that, don't you Hinata?" She looked at her daughter, and Hinata just nodded earnestly.

"Cool! Then I'll get them for you after the tournament, ok Hinata?" Naruto addressed his question to the younger Hyūga who thanked him, her stutter returning with her blush.

"That sounds perfect." Hinata said as she smirked at her blushing daughter. "Now Hinata and I need to get back before the clan meeting starts, will you be ok on your own Ruto?" At his nod she stood up, followed shortly by Hinata.

"Bye Hinata" Naruto said, waving as he finished off his ramen.

"B-Bye Ruto!" She called back as she walked out, leaving Naruto smiling. It was several minutes before he realized that he'd completely forgotten about his sore muscles and bee stings in their presence.

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The week leading up to the Parent's Day tournament passed quickly for Naruto, even with Kakashi driving him into the ground every day in the guise of "training". When the cyclopean jonin had told Naruto that he'd been assigned to help get him ready for the Parent's Day tournament, he hadn't thought that the man would spend quite so much time on the task or that he would take so much pleasure in pushing him until he felt like he was going to die, but Naruto couldn't deny that he felt more confidant in his chances than he had just a week before.

The academy was decked out for the tournament, banners and food stands lining the central area they normally used for physical training along with stands for the parents and village officials to sit in while they watched the next generation of up-and-coming shinobi test their skills. The whole affair gave the academy a festival atmosphere, one the villagers embraced wholeheartedly. He could see shopkeepers, weapon smiths and merchants of every kind milling about in the early light, and wondered if there would even be any stores open today with so many people choosing to show up.

Naruto made his way over to the roped-off seating reserved for the students competing today and found Shino talking quietly with his father. The older Aburame nodded to his son before moving off towards the lane created by the myriad vendor stands, leaving Shino standing next to Naruto in the growing crowd of students. The tournament wouldn't be starting for another 30 minutes, but already Naruto could feel the excitement building. This was the first time the students would be allowed to spar without any restrictions outside of the normal "no maiming or killing" orders, and he was looking forward to the chance to see how he measured up to someone besides Kakashi. The older shinobi was undoubtedly a skilled opponent, but it was somewhat disheartening for Naruto to lose over and over for two straight years, even if it was against someone of that skill level.

The seating filled up quickly around the two boys as other students filtered in, and it wasn't long before the stands were filled with parents and other spectators. Iruka stepped into the middle of the field and waited for the students and spectators to quiet down before speaking.

"Welcome, everyone, to another Parent's Day Tournament! Today we have some of the finest students it has been my pleasure to teach striving to prove themselves to the village, and I hope that all of you enjoy watching the results of their training!" He paused for a moment to allow the cheers from the parent's section to die down. "As there are more boys than girls in this year's class, the girls' tournament will go first, followed by the boys' tournament after a short break. The first tournament will be seven total matches held in three rounds, with the first match starting in five minute!" Iruka walked back to the judges table for a quick drink of water as the girls sitting in the student's section looked up at the large match board for their opponents. There was a short delay as the board randomized the names of the female academy students before it displayed the first tier of matches. Naruto idly noted that Hinata was against a girl from a civilian family for her first match, but what caught his attention was the matchup of one Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. Sasuke's two self-appointed 'biggest fans', they were the architect of most of the redheaded boy's headaches over the last two years. While Sasuke was a general irritant in Naruto's eyes, he was relatively quiet outside of his snide remarks and general arrogant attitude. By contrast, the two girls seemed to believe that Sasuke would choose one of them by virtue of their general volume, something that both hurt Naruto's ears on a daily basis and, in his opinion, gave the future kunoichi of his class a bad name by association.

"Looks like today's the day I show Sasuke-kun how pathetic you really are Forehead!" Ino shouted at her pink haired rival.

"Hah, you wish! In just a few minutes my Sasuke-kun will see me beat you into the ground Ino-pig and realize just how perfect for him I truly am!" Sakura retorted, making Naruto wince. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the Inuzuka heir flinch at the same time, and he could only imagine how badly it must hurt for the boy's ninjutsu-enhanced senses.

" _I wonder if she could weaponize her voice, it's certainly loud enough."_ Naruto wondered grimly as he waited for the ringing in his ears to die down. Sakura's voice wasn't necessarily the loudest thing he'd ever heard, but it reminded him of the feeling caused by scraping nails on a chalkboard. Something about the pitch of her screech just _hurt_.

As the girls began to move towards the designated areas for their matches Naruto caught Hinata's attention with a quick wave and mouthed "good luck" at her, throwing in a thumbs up for good measure and making her blush slightly as she smiled at him. He wasn't truly worried about her match from a technical standpoint, after all she'd been training in the Jyuuken for several years already and her opponent came from a civilian family and didn't stand out much in class, but her general aversion to hurting people had made her lose matches against inferior opponents before, and he didn't want her to have to deal with Hiashi today. Naruto frowned as he searched the stands for Hinata's family, finding Hitomi and Hizashi after a few moments but no Hiashi. His frown lightened as Hitomi noticed him looking at her and gave him a small wave, but he couldn't prevent the melancholy feeling as he realized Hinata's father hadn't even bothered to come out and watch his daughter's matches today.

The combatants made their way to the four separate rings spread evenly in front of the spectator stands, each with its own referee to judge the match and make sure no one was injured too badly, and Iruka made his way back to the small stand in the center of the field. Once again he waited for the stands to quiet down as he picked up the microphone.

"Now that everyone is in place, I'd just like to reiterate a few ground rules. This tournament is anything goes, but I don't want to see anyone intentionally maiming or seriously injuring anyone. These are your comrades and one day possibly your teammates, so show them the same respect you would want to be treated with." He looked at each of the girls in the four rings, then back up to the stands for a moment to draw out the tension. His arm raised straight up as each of the girls tensed, and then chopped straight down.

"Hajime!"

As soon as Iruka's arm came down 4 sets of girls ran at each other simultaneously. Although the current academy class had a rather abnormally large number of clan heirs, there were still several civilian-descended students, with the girls' numbers consisting of only two clan members. Even with most of his attention focused on Hinata's fight Naruto could see the clear difference between the fighting prowess of the two groups, with the civilians fighting more like brawlers in comparison to the fluid movements he was used to from his training with Hinata or, on rare occasions, Shino.

Hinata's opponent didn't even try to size her up, instead opting to rush straight at the Hyūga heir, something that made Naruto wince. When Hinata could put aside her reluctance to hurt others aside she was a formidable close-range fighter, even when Naruto was using his chains. Her first fight was over almost as soon as it began, with Hinata simply delivering a quick thrust straight at her opponent's head that knocked the other girl unconscious. Naruto almost burst out laughing at the look of shock on Hinata's face, as if she couldn't believe that anyone would just rush straight in to a Jyuuken strike like that, but after a moment's hesitation the judge called the match in her favor and Hinata made her way quickly back over to the seating area where she was met with a round of congratulations from both Naruto and Shino.

The three were quickly drawn out, however, by the sounds of shouting coming from the furthest ring. The judge next to the ring had a long-suffering expression on his face but wasn't stopping the match, but it took Naruto a second to recognize the two fighters. Sakura and Ino were rolling around inside the ring, each apparently trying their best to rip the other's hair out and screaming while doing it. The two girls, normally extremely concerned about their appearance, were covered in dust from the ring floor, and from the looks of it part of the bottom of Ino's shirt was torn while the tie that normally held Sakura's hair back was missing.

"It…that's not even a spar at this point, is it?" Naruto asked Shino incredulously as he watched the two girls brawling. The bug user just slowly shook his head, his eyebrows raising slightly as he stared at the spectacle in front of them.

"Nope, isn't it great!? I was sure we wouldn't get to see a cat fight until the second or third matches!" Kiba's enthusiastic outburst as met with a serious of stares and, in the case of the four girls that were already done with their matched, narrowed eyes. After a quick nervous glance at the hostile faces around him Kiba quickly held his hands up in surrender and hunched over, as if to shield himself from their anger.

Naruto shook his head at the other boy's choice of words and turned back to the….match seemed the wrong word to use, maybe Kiba was right when he called it a cat fight? The girls had gone from simply yelling at each other to hurling insults, but it seemed that the Yamanaka heir had the upper hand as she straddled Sakura and was slowly pushing her forearm towards the other girl's throat, overcoming Sakura's resistance bit by bit.

"You should just give up forehead" Ino panted as she gained another inch closer to the other girl. "At this point all you can do is show Sasuke-kun how ugly you look when you lose. If you forfeit you can at least keep some of your dignity." Sakura didn't answer verbally, choosing instead to glare at Ino as she put all of her effort into holding the other girl's arm from her throat.

"Nothing to say?" Ino taunted "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Sasuke-kun when you AARGH" her taunts were cut off as Sakura grasped a handful of the dust that covered the ground around them and, allowing Ino's arm to press on her throat to free up an arm, threw the dust directly into the other girl's eyes. Ino reared back as she rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her vision, but that was all the chance Sakura needed. Moving quickly, she bucker her hips to push Ino off balance and grabber her arm, pulling the other girl down and effectively reversing their positions. As Ino floundered about, trying to get the last of the dust out of her eyes, Sakura grabbed her outstretched arm and pulled, forcing her into a crude arm bar.

"Don't worry" She snarled at Ino. "I'll take good care of _my_ Sasuke-kun when you lose" As she parroted Ino's words the judge quickly stepped in, declaring the match in Sakura's favor when it looked as if she would break Ino's arm. The pink-haired girl stood up, panting but smiling at her victory, and walked slowly over to the table that had been set up to hold refreshments for the competitors. Grabbing a bottle of water, she walked over to where Sasuke was seated.

"Did you see that Sasuke-kun? I told you Ino-pig would be no match for me, there was never any doubt!" Sasuke barely acknowledged her presence, simply looking away with an annoyed 'hng', not that it seemed to discourage Sakura at all. Naruto exchanged a wide-eyed look with Shino from behind his glasses, and turned to see Hinata staring at Sakura with a nervous expression on her face. Naruto looked up at the match board and saw that they were paired up for the next match, and quickly turned back to her.

"Nervous?" He asked casually, causing Hinata's head to whip towards him, blushing slightly at how easily he'd read her.

"I…..S-She's so…d-determined" She replied quietly. Naruto reached out and grasped her hand reassuringly, ignoring the small squeak his actions caused.

"Hinata, you'll be fine. She's determined but did you see her fight? All she does is rush straight in. Keep calm and I know you'll take her apart no problem" He gave her a wide smile. "After wall, we have faith in you, right Shino?" The stoic boy simply nodded silently at Hinata, but she seemed to draw strength from the two of them. Iruka called out the start of the next matches, and the four remaining combatants walked out to the two middle rings. He saw Hinata look quickly at her mother and uncle, both of whom were waving at her encouragingly, before casting a last glance back over at him. He gave her double thumbs up and pointed to Sakura before making a slit-throat motion, causing Hinata to smile faintly before facing her opponent with a look of determination on her face. As Iruka raised his hand Sakura simply smiled confidently as she stood across from Hinata, idly brushing dirt from her hair. As the cry of "Hajime" echoed across the field Hinata activated her Byakuga and began to run forward, then quickly dodged to the side as a brace of shuriken flew at her. Naruto knew the tips were blunted as per the tournament rules, but it still made him tense as they came near her.

"Your fancy eyes don't count for much if you can't get close to me Hyūga." She taunted with a wide smile. "You should just give up before you get too many bruises. With those eyes you can't afford to have too many blemishes on your face, you know. Not if you want to keep your looks" The words were said quietly enough that Naruto didn't think anyone in the stands heard them, but his sensitive ears caught every word. He could feel a snarl begin to form as he looked at the Haruno girl, his general irritation over her attitude quickly turning to disgust. He had to restrain himself from shouting encouragement to Hinata, not wanting to distract Hinata for even a moment, but he could see the words having an effect on Hinata's already fragile confidence. She ran forward, only to be forced back by another brace of kunai and shuriken, and then threw several of her own projectiles at Sakura.

The other girl dodged one of the projectiles and watched as the other two landed almost a foot behind her, never coming close to hitting.

"You may be great at taijutsu, but your throwing SUCKS princess" She smirked, but Naruto began to smile as he figured out what Hinata was up to.

Sakura readied several more kunai for throwing as Hinata took another stance, but stopped as the Hyūga heiress made several hand seals. Quickly realizing the danger of allowing her opponent to get off any jutsu, Sakura threw the prepared kunai at Hinata as she stopped on the snake hand-sign and held it. The kunai impacted in a line on Hinata's chest, prompting Sakura to smile as Hinata's body was thrown backwards. Her smile lasted only a second, however, before she felt a sharp pain in her back and felt her legs go numb. As she fell to the ground her body twisted, and Hinata stepped into her field of vision from her position behind Sakura's back. Naruto watched as Sakura looked quickly over to where she'd seen Hinata's body only a second before, only for what she'd thought was Hinata to burst into smoke, leaving behind only a kunai.

Naruto was smiling widely as he watched the judge walk over and call the match in Hinata's favor, citing the temporary paralysis of Sakura's legs despite her protests that she could still 'kick her ass', and he turned to Shino with a large smile on his face.

"I knew she could do it!" He told the bug user, his voice exuberant as he shook the other boy's shoulder. Shino tolerated his jostling with a simple "indeed" for a few seconds, but as Naruto turned back to Hinata he caught something out of the corner of his eye that made immediately made his eyes narrow. From his seat in the front row Sasuke was staring at Hinata, his normal bored/arrogant expression focused into something close to interest.

" _Why's he looking at Hinata like that?"_ Naruto wondered suspiciously, staring at the Uchiha for a moment before his attention was diverted by Hinata sitting down next to him.

"I told you it'd be fine, didn't I?" He asked Hinata, noting her flushed cheeks and pleased smile.

"Y-Yes you did" She replied. "Although I owe you for the idea Ruto-kun" Naruto smiled, remembering the time's he'd used the same trick to get some distance from her when she closed to taijutsu range during their spars. Substituting with something as small as a kunai required much more chakra than it would with a target closer to his mass, but the technique used so little chakra to begin with that the drain wasn't too bad.

"Happy to help." He told her, glad she'd managed to pull through even after Sakura's attack on her confidence. Naruto looked up at the board to see the name of Hinata's final opponent but frowned at what he saw.

"Who's Kiyomi?" He asked, confused. Hinata looked up at the board for a moment before she answered.

"I-I think she's the bakers daughter. The one with the s-sword." Hinata shuddered a little at the mention of a sword, and Naruto turned to her in concern. The Jyuuken was a powerful taijutsu style, but he wasn't sure how she would deal with something that didn't have tenketsu for her to close, not to mention the extra reach a sword would give her opponent. He wasn't too worried about exhaustion as both of Hinata's matches had been relatively short, but spent the entire 10 minute break between the second and third rounds with a worried look on his face as he tried to think of any advice that could help Hinata against a sword. Unfortunately he wasn't used to fighting against a weapon with bare fists, his chains ensuring that that was never an issue for him, but by the time Hinata stood up to leave for the final match Naruto had come up blank. She would just have to do her best, and whatever happened, happened.

The two girls stood across from each other in the ring as Iruka held up the microphone, neither one letting the other out their sights. Naruto saw the _bokken_ in the other girl's hand and watched Hinata eyeing it carefully.

"Honored parents and spectators, welcome to the final match of the girl's tournament! Today we have two students, Yamaguchi Kiyomi and Hyūga Hinata, fighting for the honor of top female student. Regardless of the outcome of this match, I'm sure you will all agree with me when I say that I'm more than proud that they've made it so far and look forward to a thrilling match." Iruka moved off to the side of the ring, the assigned judge taking his place on the edge of the ring as Iruka raised his arm. Hinata slid into her standard Jyuuken stance as Kiyomi held her sword in front of her in a stance Naruto didn't recognize, both staring at the other motionlessly. Iruka's arm came down quickly and with a cry of "Hajime" the match began.

Kiyomi wasted no time in pressing the attack, leaping forward in an overhand chop that had Naruto holding the edge of his seat. At first he thought the blow was headed straight for Hinata's head, dangerous even with the wooden practice sword, but the blow angled slightly to the side and came down towards Hinata's collarbone at the last moment. Naruto watched, amazed, as Hinata seemed to flow out of the way of the strike at the last moment, her body moving with a fluidity he'd never seen her exhibit with the Jyuuken. Kiyomi hadn't relied on the first strike, however, chaining each movement into another circular slash that kept Hinata out of Jyuuken range while simultaneously throwing blow after blow at the unarmed girl.

" _I thought she was a baker's daughter?!"_ Naruto thought frantically as he watched Hinata move away from another slash at the last second. " _Where did she learn Kenjutsu?"_ Even as he watched each blow miss Hinata by the smallest of margins he could see his friend's breathing quicken. With the broad circular movements conserving most of her momentum Kiyomi was using a minimum of energy while maintaining the power of her strokes while simultaneously forcing Hinata to move out of the way of each strike or be dealt a grievous blow. Hinata's stamina was slowly being chipped away, and unless she could get in range for a Jyuuken strike on the other girl Hinata would soon be too tired to dodge.

Naruto looked worriedly between the two girls for several seconds before something in the stands caught his attention. In the parent's section of the stand he could see Hizashi and Hitomi talking quickly, their eyes still on Hinata but their expressions seemingly relieved for some reason, something Naruto couldn't understand as from his perspective Hinata was being pushed around the ring with little chance for success. His eyes narrowed as he looked at them.

" _What do you know that I don't"_ He wondered.

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"I never thought I'd be grateful that my brother chose not to come support his daughter" Hizashi noted in a dry tone as he watched Hinata dodge the wide strikes of her opponent, seemingly avoiding injury by the slimmest of margins.

"And why is that Hizashi?" Hitomi asked, her eyes likewise glued to the scene in front of them. Hizashi nodded towards Hinata as he spoke, his voice quiet.

"My brother is many things, but a fool he's not. Some of those moves are Ryudoken, not Jyuuken, and he would immediately recognize them. I doubt he'd be happy to know I've been training his daughter in another style against his wishes. Luckily we're the only Hyūga here besides Hinata, so our secret is safe…for now" He watched as Hinata's entire body shimmied away from a diagonal slash, marveling at the way her joints seemed to liquefy as she contorted herself. He ruefully admitted that, trained ninja or not, his niece was already much more flexible than he could ever hope to be.

Hitomi raised an eyebrow as she spared her brother-in-law a quick glance, then turned back to watch as her daughter attempted to close the distance and score a hit on her opponent. A flurry of blows drove her off before she could get into range, and Hitomi sighed in frustration.

"That didn't stop you from 'acquiring' the scrolls from the archive and training her anyways. My husband may not be a fool, but he can be a stubborn idiot at times. Regardless of what he wants, _I_ want my daughter to survive long enough for me to see her start her own family, and the Jyuuken alone wasn't going to see that happen." Hizashi spared her a respectful look.

" _Never mess with an angry mother._ " He mused, remembering her demanding that he help train her daughter in the Ryudoken after she'd found out about his meeting with Hiashi.

"Still" Hizashi said as he watched Hinata wait too long to dodge another strike, receiving a long scratch as punishment for her mistake. "she's not far enough along in either style to face off against a weapons user yet. Unless she comes up with something….creative, she's probably going to lose here." He said with a sigh, only to be surprised at Hitomi's wide smile.

"Then it's a good thing her best friend and sparring partner is a master of 'creative solutions', no?" She said as she pointed to the ring.

Hizashi watched as Hinata jumped backwards after avoiding a particularly vicious uppercut slash and flung several kunai at her opponent. Kiyomi's sword blurred, somehow still maintaining most of its momentum, and deflected the blades towards the edges of the ring as Hinata began to quickly go through seals.

"That won't work on me" She said as her _bokken_ resumed its circular dance towards Hinata. When Hinata dodged the next strike, however, her fluid movements were broken as she dodged in three directions _at the same time_. Three different Hinata's dodged the blade as it came towards her, and Kiyomi rapidly backed off as she attempted to keep all three Hinata's in sight, her eyes rapidly switching back and forth between them. After a moment of hesitation all three Hinata's took up stances and, acting in unison, charged the other girl.

Despite the now 3-on-1 battle Kiyomi didn't panick after the initial shock of Hinata's bushin technique, her blade quickly spiraling as she attempted to fend off all three at once. All three Hinata's took pains to avoid the blade, knowing that if one of the bushin made contact with the blade she would know it was an illusion and thus could be ignored. It was a solid plan, one that could eventually wear the other girl down but for one problem: Hinata was getting tired. Hizashi had been training his niece for years, and he could tell that the earlier dodging combined with the clone technique was rapidly consuming Hinata's stamina, resulting in sloppier moves and later dodges. He watched as one clone made contact with the _bokken_ , the wooden blade going right through the illusion, and felt a pang of disappointment as Kiyomi disregarded the clone and focused on the two remaining unknowns. A few seconds later a second clone made contact between the edge of the _bokken_ and the hood of her jacket, but it was enough. A smile broke over the kenjutsu user's face as she eliminated the last unknown, and she turned to the last Hinata who was panting with exhaustion.

"Not a bad strategy, but it looks like this is my win!" She shouted and brought the bokken in a quick circle aimed at Hinata's side and the other girl was too tired to dodge effectively.

Her triumphant shout was cut short, however, when the _bokken_ slid right through the last Hinata without any resistance. Hizashi watched, amazed, as the second Hinata moved forward and delivered a pair of quick strikes to the other girl's arms, immobilizing them, and then walked _out of the bushin_. The judge called the match in favor of Hinata and he turned to Hitomi, noting the proud smile on her face.

" _Creative_ was the word you used, I think" she said, her tone smug. Hizashi just nodded dumbly.

"How did she do it?" He asked dumbfounded as he watched Naruto run over and catch Hinata in a hug, causing his niece to go bright red before fainting.

"Bushin have no substance, and we can see through them with the Byakugan." Hitomi said, smiling at Naruto's antics. "I'm just guessing here, but I think she made 3 bushin and hid inside one. Then instead of dodging she allowed part of the illusion to pass through the other girl's weapon, convincing her that the second bushin wasn't solid. As soon as she turned her back on the bushin, she struck." He could hear the pride in her tone for her daughter. Hizashi just stared at her niece as she woke up to find Naruto hovering over her, concerned look on his face, and promptly fainted again.

"The two of them are going to be monsters in a few years, aren't they?" He asked.

"What makes you think they aren't already?" Hitomi replied with a laugh, and Hizashi could only laugh in reply.

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The break between the girl's and boy's tournaments passed quickly for Naruto, and he found his eyes gravitating towards the match rings every few minutes as he devoured his lunch without tasting any of it. He hadn't stopped smiling since the moment Hinata had stepped out from within her bushin, proud of her creative victory and eager to prove himself just as clever.

The boy's tournament was set up slightly differently from the girls as there were 12 of them, meaning that one person would get a buy through the semifinals. Naruto frowned as it was announced that the buy slot would come from Sasuke's bloc but wasn't overly surprised. He always _did_ get preferential treatment, and more than a few of the people watching from the stands were probably only there to watch the "Last Uchiha" fight (and win) in the finals. He had heard more than one person talk about wagering on Sasuke in the finals, and was looking forwards to both grinding Sasuke's smug face into the ground and hopefully breaking some of the villagers from their hero-worship of the arrogant boy.

Like Hinata, his first match was against a civilian-descended boy whose entire repertoire consisted of frankly substandard academy-style taijutsu and inaccurate shurikenjutsu. The entire match took only thirty seconds from start to the point where he tripped the other boy into a ring-out, and it was somewhat anticlimactic. He walked over to the student area to wait for the next match, sitting next to Shino and looking at the other boy questioningly. Shino caught his expression and pointed to a boy Naruto hadn't noticed before lying on the ground with his arms around his head.

"You lost that fast?" Naruto said as he looked back at Shino, only for the other boy to shake his head. Eyebrows raised, he looked at his friend's opponent but couldn't find any marks from their match. Curious, he walked over to the other boy who only deigned to open an eye when Naruto blocked part of the sun he was lying in.

"How'd you lose?" Naruto asked.

"Forfeited." The boy answered concisely, his voice laconic. Naruto's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Why would you compete if you were just going to forfeit?" He wasn't insulted by the casual dismissal of the tournament, but it did confuse him why the other boy would even enter.

"My mom made me" The boy said, lazily pointing into the stands. Naruto followed his finger straight to a couple sitting several feet away from Hitomi and Hizashi, recognizing the man as the head of the Nara clan. His wife was glaring in Naruto's direction, but after a moment he realized it was at the boy next to him and not Naruto she was irritated with.

"Um…your mom seems angry" Naruto said nervously but the boy simply shrugged.

"She's always angry about something. _Very_ troublesome woman." A little bit of exasperation crept into his voice, the first sign of emotion he'd seen from the boy.

"So why forfeit" Naruto asked wryly as the boy's eyes closed again.

"Too troublesome to compete. I'd rather watch the clouds." Naruto looked up at the sky around them but could only find a single cloud almost directly overhead.

"You do know there's only one cloud out today, right?" He asked skeptically, but the other boy just smirked.

"Somebody has to watch it, might as well be me." Naruto looked incredulously at the boy's closed eyes, but decided to walk back over and wait by Shino. It couldn't be healthy to talk to the Nara heir for too long, he might rub off on you.

The second round of matchups was posted a few minutes later and Naruto was surprised to see that Shino was paired up against Sasuke. He hadn't paid much attention to the other blocs, but he knew his friend would be glad to get another chance at the cocky boy.

"Good luck Shino. Kick his ass" Naruto said as he walked by his friend, clapping his shoulder. Shino nodded at him as he walked to the other side of the field, and Naruto took his own place in one of the closer rings.

His opponent for the second round was Akimichi Choji, and Naruto was more than a little nervous about the fight. Choji was one of nicest people Naruto had ever met, even rivaling Hinata for sheer thoughtfulness at times, and Naruto wasn't sure the…husky (" _Must not say fat"_ ) boy would even attack him. He knew he would feel bad about attacking someone who wasn't fighting back, and he could only hope the other boy would put aside his non-confrontational nature and put a good showing in. His worry's lasted up until the moment Iruka lowered his arm to start the match and Choji shouted "Baika no Jutsu".

Naruto's eyes widened as Choji's arm quadrupled in size, and he had to scramble quickly out of the way as a fist the size of a small boulder passed through the space his chest had occupied only a second before.

" _What the…..what happened to the boy that frees butterflies from spider webs!?"_ Naruto thought frantically as he dodged yet another strike from the giant limb. Naruto frantically reached into his side pouch and drew out a smoke bomb, quickly throwing it at the ground to create some cover. His relief was short lived as Choji began swiping his arm horizontally through the smoke, forcing Naruto close to the ground to avoid being swatted like a fly.

Naruto quickly created a kage bushin that moved to the edge of the ring and crouched low to avoid the wild swings as he advanced on Choji. The smoke was dissipating in the light wind blowing over the clearing, giving Naruto a hazy outline of the other boy to use as a target. He waited until the giant arm had passed him on another wild swing before he rushed the larger boy. Choji, distracted by his wild swinging, didn't see Naruto until he was almost upon him, but he surprised Naruto again. He released the jutsu keeping his arm supersized as Naruto passed by his elbow and brought his hands together in a single quick movement. Naruto had just enough time to recognize the ram seal before he was knocked into the air by a wall of expanding flesh, throwing him back and up. He barely had enough time to orient himself in the air before he felt the familiar tugging sensation of a kawarimi and found himself standing at the edge of the ring as his bushin exploded into a cloud of smoke in midair.

" _Thank god for kage bushin and kawarimi"_ He thought, relieved that he'd set up a backup plan for his frontal assault. He looked over at Choji, not big enough to cover half the ring, and took a wary fighting stance. Choji looked at him for a second before raising a hand to attack Naruto again, only to be stopped by the judge.

"Winner, Naruto!" The chunin cried out, causing both Choji and Naruto to look at him in shock. The older shinobi simply pointed at Choji's feet in response, and both boys looked at the ground. Naruto chuckled and Choji adopted an extremely embarrassed expression as he realized that by using the Baika no Jutsu on his whole body he'd put more than half his bulk outside the ring.

" _Thank god_ " Naruto thought with a sigh of relief. " _I don't know how I was going to beat him. I mean look at him, he's HUGE"_.

There was a large puff of smoke as Choji shrank back down to normal size and walked over to Naruto.

"Sorry about that, I forget how big that jutsu makes me sometimes" He said contritely. Naruto simply shook his extended hand.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just sorry the match had to end that way. That's a scary technique." Naruto said amicably, but Choji just grinned.

"Thanks, but I'm not. Less time fighting means more time for snacks!" The other boy's grin was infectious, and Naruto was smiling as he walked back to the waiting area. Hinata, finally recovered from her fainting spell, was waiting to congratulate him, but he didn't see Shino. He turned to the ring where Shino was fighting Sasuke just in time for his blood to turn cold as the Uchiha completed a jutsu.

"Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Naruto watched in horror as the scene from two years ago repeated itself, the giant fireball leaving Sasuke's mouth and impacting on a swarm of Shino's insects. There was a fraction of a second where Naruto thought the insect shield would hold, but the fireball's power was too great and it burned through the swarm. He saw Shino dive to the side before the scene was covered in smoke from the impact of the jutsu, and he was up and running before he had consciously made the choice to move.

The smoke cleared as he approached the ring, showing him Sasuke standing with a triumphant smirk on his face and Shino clutching one leg, the bottom of his pants seared off and the skin an angry red. The judge walked over and looked at the injury for a moment before calling the match in Sasuke's favor, allowing the waiting medic to walk over and begin treating the burn. Naruto glared at Sasuke angrily as he walked over to check on Shino.

"You ok?" He asked worriedly, noticing that Hinata had followed him over for the first time.

Shino nodded, but Naruto could see how much pain he was in by his stiff posture.

"The loss of so much of my colony is….distressing. It will take some time to build their numbers up again." Shino's voice was tight with either pain or anger, and Hinata gripped Naruto's arm tightly, her face betraying the distress she was feeling. Naruto put his hand on his friends shoulder and squeezed.

"We'll get him back for this, I promise." Naruto ground out through clenched teeth. Shino didn't respond, beyond a single sharp nod, surprisingly mirrored by Hinata.

Naruto stalked out to his semifinal match against Kiba, his expression thunderous as he took up his position across from the ninken user. Kiba took one look at him and his own expression immediately turned worried.

"You ok dude? It's just a friendly match, right?" He asked, his voice unsure. Naruto just turned to Iruka expectantly. The older teacher sighed as he watched Naruto stalk around, but raised his arm, then brought it down sharply and started the match.

Naruto's first move was to throw a handful of shuriken at Kiba who dodged them all, seemingly troubled by Naruto's angry demeanor. He rushed at Naruto, his nails and teeth growing more savage as he used ninjutsu to amplify his physical attributes. He took a lunging swing at Naruto, attempting to rake him with his sharp nails, but Naruto avoided it by stepping forward and ramming his shoulder into Kiba's midsection.

"Sorry, but I can't waste any time here" He ground out, and pulled a tag from the pouch at his waist. He slapped the tag on Kiba's chest and watched as his nails and teeth reverted back to their normal appearance and Kiba stumbled. In one quick movement Naruto drew a kunai and pressed it against Kiba's neck, prompting Kiba to surrender.

"W-What did you do to me!?" Kiba hissed, pain in his voice. Naruto looked at the seal he'd put on the other boy.

"Chakra-suppressor seal. Prevents you from using any chakra. You'd be surprised how much you use unconsciously for basic combat." He replied, and pulled the seal off of his chest. Almost immediately Kiba perked up. He turned back to Naruto, frowing, but extended a hand. His face confused, Naruto grabbed his hand. Kiba looked at him, his face pensive, and nodded.

"Bug-boy may creep me out, but he's one of us. You don't hurt your pack like that." Kiba's serious tone surprised him, but after a moment he nodded back.

"Kick duck-butt's ass for me, would ya? Gotta prove the "elite Uchiha" isn't invincible."His trademark carefree grin back in place, Kiba moved back over to the sitting area. Naruto walked over long enough to down a quick bottle of water as he stared at Sasuke who simply smirked at him before turning back to the crowd, and waited until the final match was called.

Naruto walked over to the ring, his steps purposeful as he eyed the last Uchiha.

" _If Itachi could see you he'd be disgusted"_ Naruto thought regretfully. As far as he could tell, Sasuke didn't consider anyone outside of the Uchiha to be worth anything, and he based his entire existence on the supposed "superiority" of his clan. Naruto shook his head again as his thoughts turned to his first teacher.

" _Itachi was great because he used the gifts the clan gave him to improve himself. The clan didn't make him great, ITACHI made himself great_ " He mused as he looked across the ring at Sasuke.

"Ready for me to roast you like I did your roach-loving friend?" Sasuke taunted, and Naruto tensed. Shino had once brought in a display of different pinned insects to show him, proud of his collection. Sasuke had seen the one type of rare cockroach that had been present in the collection and taunted Shino about it whenever he could.

"Better to be a roach-lover than an arrogant ass." Naruto retorted, but Sasuke just laughed.

"I'm an Uchiha, the best of the best, and the top of our class. It's not arrogance; I'm just being honest with myself. I deserve the accolades because I _am_ the best. Maybe after I beat you into the ground your little club will realize how worthless you really are. Roach-lover might not be worth much, but the Hyūga heir is someone befitting my station if what she showed today was any indication. Who knows, maybe I'll actually let her help me rebuild my clan in a few years if she keeps up the good work." His smirk grew as he spoke, and Naruto could feel the rage building inside of him. He looked down as he took every bit of it he could manage and pushed it down, drawing on the image of Itachi during their training, seeking to imitate his cold detachment as he faced the legacy his teacher had left behind. It took him several moments to pull himself together, but when he looked up at again Sasuke's smirk turned into an angry frown. Naruto looked over at Iruka and nodded. The older chunin shook himself quickly, as if pulling back to the present, and raised his arm. Naruto looked back at Sasuke, thoughts churning beneath his emotionless mask, and waited for the arm to fall.

The moment he heard Iruka yell "Hajime" his hands blurred into motion. Sasuke rushed forward, intent on beating him to a pulp, but Naruto had other plans. Before Sasuke had covered even half the distance between them a dozen copies of Naruto sprung into being, halting him in his tracks.

"You think basic tricks like this are enough to beat me dobe?" Sasuke laughed, but Naruto thought there was a nervous tinge to the sound as he looked at the emotionless faces of the clones.

Sasuke ran through a series of hand seals before ending on a tiger seal and took a deep breath. As he exhaled a stream of fire came from his mouth and washed over half the field, heading straight towards Naruto. Without changing his expression Naruto the rat sign and felt himself sink underground as he activated his Moguragakure no Jutsu.

He moved towards Sasuke, careful to make sure he stayed within the marked boundaries of the ring, and pulled up out of the ground behind him without a sound. He balled up his fist, pulled back, and hit Sasuke as hard as he could in the lower back, right over his left kidney. The other boy cried out as he stumbled forward, clutching his side where Naruto had punched him, but laughed as he turned around.

"Is that all you've got dobe? I've taken harder hits from a training post." A flash of anger crossed over Naruto's face at the words, but he quickly suppressed it until his mask was unbroken as he saw Sasuke flash through the signs for the Gōkakyū again. Once more Naruto sunk into the ground, but as he came up behind Sasuke for the second time he felt a sharp pain in the side of his head and staggered as a roundhouse kick caught him.

"Same trick over and over, eh? That's why you'll never beat me dobe, you're predictable." Sasuke swung into another kick only for Naruto to dodge underneath his leg, landing a quick punch on the other boy's stomach in return.

"I told you, your punches don't do anything. I could stand here all day and you couldn't so much as scratch me." Naruto suppressed another grimace before he felt the urge to smile.

" _He wants to take my punches? I'll show him just exactly how hard I can hit."_

Naruto launched into a series of taijutsu combinations that he'd worked on with Kakashi over the last week, his clones moving in every few hits to try and distract Sasuke, but he began pulling his punches. He took a jab to the right shoulder and another kick to the side in exchange for the weakened blows he was using, but Sasuke began to hold off on his blocks for most of Naruto's attacks, taunting him as he shrugged off the damage they did to him. Finally, after a low kick that didn't so much as rock Sasuke, the taunting stepped up a notch.

"Are you getting tired already?" The Uchiha smirked, and he stepped back and held his arms up. "Tell you what, I'll give you one good shot. One chance to take me down and prove that you're not worthless." Naruto felt a surge of elation fill his chest, but he carefully forced a small amount of anger into his features. He watched as a look of satisfaction came over Sasuke's features as he saw Naruto's mask 'slip'. Naruto ran towards the smirking boy and turned into a spin kick. Sasuke saw him shift his weight and brought his arm up in a block, but as his leg rose Naruto concentrated and allowed a length of chain to coil around his lower leg, the spear point kept parallel to his leg to avoid any cuts. His chain-reinforced leg smashed into Sasuke's shoulder with a sickening crunch as Naruto put his full weight behind a blow for the first time since he'd come up with his plan, launching Sasuke nearly eight feet away and fully out of the ring.

There was complete silence in the arena for several moments, and the Iruka called out in a shaky voice.

"Winner, Kodama Ruto" His eyes never left Sasuke's form as he spoke.

The silence persisted for a moment after that until a polite round of applause started, originating from Hitomi and Hizashi, and Naruto took a second to smile gratefully at them, returning their congratulatory waves. He walked back over to the student area and sat next to Hinata who gave him a shy smile and looked at the bandage on Shino's lower leg. Shino reached out and squeezed his shoulder briefly. The silence turned uncomfortable for a few minutes before Kiba's voice rang out.

"Damn, remind me not to get you angry." Naruto froze for a second, and then began to laugh heartily as the tension dissipated and most of the other students joined in.


	6. Chapter 5: Stuck With a Monkey and a Duc

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or it would involve more explosions and fewer creepy eyes.**

 **Chapter 5: Stuck With a Monkey and a Duck**

"Hokage-sama, you must agree that the attack on Uchiha-san was out of line! I know the tournament is supposed to be 'anything goes', but to allow someone to put our last loyal Uchiha at risk like that was beyond anyone's expectations."

Kakashi was glad, not for the first time, that his mask hid the wide smile he was now sporting as he watched the Hokage's blood pressure slowly climb under the constant onslaught of the civilian council's demands.

" _You couldn't get me near that hat with a full set of signed first-edition Icha Icha, not a chance in hell"_ He mused as yet another councilor, this one a banker if memory served, took up the call for either advanced training for Sasuke or punitive actions against Naruto for breaking his arm (and collarbone and two ribs along with damaging the boy's kidney, but who's counting?) during his spar. In a series of subtle hand signs to Neko he began wagering on when the Hokage would snap and incinerate the entire gaggle with a katon jutsu, causing the other ANBU to quickly stifle her laughter before turning back to guard duty. Even though he'd made the decision of his own volition, Kakashi felt a small wave of sadness at the thought of leaving his partner behind after his retirement today, and he was glad their last guard shift on the Hokage was something he could turn into a pleasant memory, rather than the gory mess that signaled the end of most ANBU careers. His bittersweet musings were broken by a tide of shouts that seemed to rise in volume every second until they were an almost physical presence, and Kakashi had to hold back a sigh of relief when the Hokage finally decided he'd had enough.

"Councilors, please!" He said, only to be ignored as the shouting drowned out his plaintive cry. A vein throbbed in his temple as his anger rose.

"Sit down and BE QUIET!" He finally shouted, his chakra spiking for a second as a wave of killing intent froze the councilors in their places.

"I understand you have your concerns, but we accomplish nothing by attempting to drown one another out." He said, his neutrally pleasant smile conveying a silent threat.

"Now, some of you have expressed worries over the level of damage some of the participants in this year's Parent's Day tournament, particularly towards the injuries sustained by Uchiha Sasuke. While I'm glad that so many of you are concerned about the wellbeing of our young shinobi hopefuls, I assure you that everything that happened during the tournament was within the rules, and nobody was dealt any lasting damage." His voice was pleasant, but Kakashi was sure that every one of the councilors caught the underlying message: "The tournament went well, don't make an issue of it".

"But Hokage-sama, you must see that the Kodama child went too far! If he had damaged Sasuke permanently we would lose access to the last Uchiha shinobi in Konoha. The economic repercussions would be immense, we must ensure that something like this doesn't happen again, create an example."

" _I guess they're denser than I thought_ " Kakashi watched the Hokage's cheerfully neutral façade change slightly, his anger finally winning out over his normally calm nature.

"May I remind you that the academy is still under my jurisdiction councilor? And as such, I _must_ do nothing. As it stands, Kodama-san did nothing against the rules of the tournament. If anything it was _Sasuke's_ use of a potentially lethal technique that should bring suspicion, and I will not punish one of my subjects for doing their best in a sanctioned spar." There was an undercurrent of steel in his voice, and Kakashi could see that even the more…obstinate councilors knew he was drawing a line.

"That being said, you do have a point about Sasuke's value to the village. Previously you've…requested that Inu be reassigned so that he be made available to pass on his expertise to the boy when he begins active duty service." Kakashi felt a shiver run down his spine at the Hokage's words.

" _This seems off somehow…"_ He thought as the Hokage continued speaking

"As Inu is one of our most skilled ANBU, these requests have been denied until now, but I feel it would behoove us to supplement Sasuke's training to ensure he survives to continue his clan and the sharingan. As such I have asked him to step down from his position as a captain in the ANBU, so that he can assist young Sasuke from time to time with his training, as well as acting as his eventual Jonin sensei once he graduates."

" _Son of a… I didn't agree to that!"_ Kakashi had never heard of a sharingan giving someone the power to reduce someone to ashes with a glare, but he was certainly trying to incinerate the Hokage now. Around him there were murmurs of approval from the council members, the announcement smoothing over any residual hostility towards Naruto's actions during the tournament.

Kakashi spent the next ten minutes glaring as the Hokage wrapped up the meeting, sending the councilors away with vague promises of "assistance" for Sasuke without actually specifying what would be done outside of Kakashi's involvement. As soon as the door closed behind the last council member the Hokage let out a sigh and turned to Kakashi, who removed his mask.

"I'm guessing you'd like an explanation?" He said wryly, a humorless smile on his face.

"Considering the last time we talked you said I'd be looking after _Ruto,_ I'm sure you can see my confusion." Kakashi replied in an even tone. The Hokage never did anything without a reason, he knew that, but damned if he could see what it was right now.

"I needed to deflect some of their anger at Ruto over Sasuke's injuries, and yes I know he didn't break the rules in any way. That doesn't keep those vultures from trying to push through anything they can to pander to the 'Last Uchiha.'" Hiruzen looked away for a second to gather his thoughts before returning his gaze to Kakashi's.

"I'm not saying you have to spend all your time on Sasuke, just show him some tricks a couple of times a month so I can justify saying he's getting "special training" and keep the council off our collective backs. The longer they think they're getting what they want, the better for all the shinobi it is. Besides, how bad could he be?" Kakashi immediately felt his blood run cold.

" _Nothing good ever follows that question"_ He sighed internally as he looked at the Hokage.

"And Ruto?" Kakashi asked. He'd come to enjoy sparring with the boy and didn't want to give that up. It had been some time since he'd been able to fight without his life hanging in the balance.

"Keep training him, but let him know it has to be kept discreet. I know it's not in his nature to disclose information about himself to others, but if it gets out that he's getting extra training as well everything we did today will be for nothing, the council will jump on it like a bulldog on a bone." The Hokage looked at the door the council members had filed out of, his expression distasteful. Kakashi nodded before turning to walk out the door.

"And Kakashi?" The Hokage's voice stopped him before he could leave.

"Tell Ruto 'good job' for me would you? That was a hell of a showing yesterday" Beneath his mask Kakashi smiled as he nodded at the Hokage and left.

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For once Kakashi was actually having trouble finding Naruto. The boy was almost always training at his normal grounds on his days off from the academy, but the field was empty when he stepped into the clearing. A quick search of his apartment and Ichiraku's yielded no redheaded boys, and Kakashi was starting to get worried that some of the more vocal elements in Konoha had decided to enact their own "repayment" for Sasuke's injuries when he caught sight of a familiar shock of red hair near the village gates. It only took him a minute to catch up with Naruto, but when he did he had to restrain a small scream as he saw Naruto's companions. Swiftly running at his side was a neon-green clone of the man who had declared Kakashi his "eternal rival" shouting something about the "power of youth" while Naruto nodded distractedly. For a moment Kakashi was assaulted by a possible future where the last legacy of his beloved sensei was turned into another copy of Guy, spreading the same jumpsuit to others like a plague….He shook his head to rid himself of the terrifying vision before using a quick shunsin to catch up with the two runners.

"Inu- I mean Kakashi-san! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, his breathing somewhat ragged from running.

"I was looking for you, actually. I was a little surprised that you weren't at your normal training grounds and decided to look around and see if I could find you." Kakashi replied, noticing that neither Naruto nor the Guy clone had slowed down at all as they spoke. In fact, if anything they'd sped up, each throwing glances at the other as if making sure they were still keeping up.

"I was out there this morning, but after Lee-san ran by a few times I decided to ask what he was doing. Since he wears weights too I figured there must be a reason he was running so much, and he asked me to join him." Naruto answered with a somewhat strained smile. " _Granted, that was four hours ago and he doesn't stop…"_ Kakashi almost didn't her Naruto's mumbled complaint, but felt a small measure of relief. If Naruto was getting annoyed with something Guy would consider a "light warm-up", maybe he didn't have to worry about a future spandex epidemic.

"So what is it? Did you need me for something?" Naruto asked, and the pleading look he covertly shot the older ninja made Kakashi smile.

"Actually, yes. There are a few things we need to go over from the tournament, and a few changes to my schedule you should know about. Could you meet me at your normal grounds in, say, 20 minutes?" Kakashi kept his voice carefully neutral. No doubt if the mini-Guy caught wind of Naruto trying to back out there would be a long (and more importantly LOUD) lecture on youthfulness, and Kakashi endured enough of that from the original. Naruto simply nodded as Naruto turned to tell his companion.

"YOSH! I will train twice as hard in your absence to make up for missed time my youthful friend!" The volume made Kakashi wince and he saw Naruto flinch away slightly. The boy's ears were almost as good as an Inuzuka's, that yell had to be torture…

Before he could endure any more of the sonic assault Kakashi used a series of quick shunsin hops to travel to the familiar clearing and settled in to wait for Naruto. A surprisingly short time later he saw the boy walk out of the trees, panting slightly from the effort he used to escape his new 'friend'. Kakashi raised one eyebrow as Naruto came to a stop in front of him, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this exhausted before kid." He said with a smile. "Bruised or unconscious, yes, but I was starting to think you never got tired." Naruto just looked up at him from beneath sweat-slicked bangs with a small grin.

"Two sets of weights is really heavy, I think exhaustion is understandable" He huffed good naturedly.

"You're still wearing those?" Kakashi exclaimed. "I figured you'd throw them in a ditch the moment the tournament started." He'd gotten those weights from Guy originally, and was mildly impressed that Naruto had decided to keep using them.

"Well I figured if I had to wear them through the tournament, I might as well keep using them. It sucks, but so did the first set when I started, and I'm getting used to it." As his breathing evened out Naruto stood up and stretched his arms to work out a stiff muscle. "Besides, they made the fights interesting. And now I know that if I ever need to beat the "Top Student" in our class all I have to do is take off the second set of weights, and he'll never see me coming." Kakashi froze as he heard Naruto specify the _second_ set of weights.

"Um, Ruto? Are you telling me you were still wearing both sets of weights during the fight with Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, his voice deceptively calm.

"Of course" Naruto replied testily. "You told me if I took them off you'd buy out all the cinnamon buns in Konoha and tell Hitomi-san _I_ did it. I don't want to die, so I kept them on." It took a supreme effort of will for Kakashi to prevent his hand from covering his face in exasperation. He'd made the threat to stop Naruto from complaining about the second set, but he'd never thought the boy would take it so far.

"Naruto, I meant _before_ the tournament, not _during_ the tournament. What would be the point of training with weights before-hand if you didn't take them off for the fight?!" Kakashi exclaimed.

"You didn't say that, and the last time somebody got between Hitomi and a cinnamon bun I couldn't look her in the eye for a week. So I went the cautious rout just in case, and anyways I won! Why does it matter if I kept my weights on?" Naruto threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

" _Because it means you're even stronger than we thought. I just wish I knew who it was that trained you before you came back to Konoha so I can give them a medal…. or rope them into training at the academy."_ Kakashi thought, but kept quiet. Naruto's past had so far prevented him from developing the kind of arrogance that often accompanied the rising skill levels he'd been showing, but Kakashi wasn't about to risk changing that situation. One arrogant "Last Heir" was enough.

"It doesn't" He sighed resignedly. "But we've gone off topic. I _did_ actually need to talk to you about something, not just save you from the green nightmare" His voice turned wry at the end as Naruto flinched. Lee had certainly made an impression on the boy.

"He's not that bad, just….very enthusiastic. And very _loud_." Naruto admitted quietly, unknowingly mirroring the same thoughts Kakashi had had about guy over a decade ago when they'd first met.

"Nobody's perfect" Kakashi deadpanned in response, then moved on to his real topic. "First off, I wanted to congratulate you on your win in the tournament, and pass on the Hokage's congratulations as well. Unfortunately there are a few….consequences to that victory." He watched as Naruto's face turned grim.

"You mean the council is angry that I beat up their precious Uchiha right?" Naruto's voice took on a dark quality as old memories surfaced. "What did they call for? Jail, or just a beating?" Kakashi was taken aback at the matter-of-fact tone he was using as he talked about such extreme punishments.

"N-neither, just for some extra training for Sasuke, and I've been assigned as the trainer. It will cut into our training a bit, but no more than 1 or 2 times a week. The Hokage still wants me to continue training you at the same time, we just can't overlap." Naruto's expression softened somewhat, but was still troubled.

"So he burns another clan heir with a potentially lethal jutsu and they don't care, but as soon as someone kicks his ass they start rolling out the extra trainers. Typical." Naruto sighed as he looked at Kakashi. "So you really didn't mean for me to wear the weights during the tournament?"

Kakashi knew it was a rather poor attempt to change the subject, but took the out anyways.

"No, but from what I saw I'm glad I did. You're trying to limit the attention you draw to yourself. A win is one thing; completely dominating your entire class would be pretty suspicious. Plus you would've been bored otherwise if what I saw was any indication." That drew a small smile from Naruto.

"Never show them everything you can do, right?" Kakashi chuckled at his response before squeezing his shoulder affectionately. It pleased him to no end that Naruto's trust in him had come far enough for these casual gestures as he rarely let people he didn't trust implicitly touch him, a holdover from his wilder past.

"Exactly. Ninja work from the shadows, leave the honorable fights to the samurai." Kakashi replied as he looked up, gauging the time. "Alright, I have to go for now, but I shouldn't be starting on Sasuke's extra training for around two weeks, normal time tomorrow?" He asked.

"Why two weeks?" Naruto asked curiously. "I'd have thought they'd be demanding you start right away."

"They probably would if you hadn't broken his arm." Kakashi shot back. Despite his obvious dislike for the boy Naruto still blushed slightly.

"I broke his arm?" He asked in a slightly embarrassed tone.

"And his collarbone, and a couple ribs." Kakashi replied, and Naruto's blush grew with each listed injury, his expression drawing a laugh from Kakashi.

"Don't worry about it, he'll be fine in 2 weeks or so and it was within the rules." His expression turned serious. "But if I ever see you give your opponent a free shot like that I'll make what you did to Sasuke look like a love tap." Kakashi said before switching back to a cheerful tone.

"I'll see you tomorrow kid." He said as he walked out of the clearing, waving as he left.

" _Now for the less pleasant task"_ He thought, sighing.

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Kakashi had been in the hospital several times over his shinobi career, as had almost every ANBU and normal shinobi at some point, but he could never remember seeing a more opulent hospital room. Sasuke sat propped up by several pillows behind his back, his arm in a cast and sling while his visible ribs were taped, flowers from 'well-wishers' covering every available surface while his blatantly non hospital-issue bedding was turned down. He was reading a scroll with the Uchiha clan's fan crest on the back and scowling, and Kakashi once again cursed the Hokage mentally for putting him in this situation. As he stepped through the doorway Sasuke looked up.

"What do you want?" he demanded, and Kakashi could feel a small vein begin to throb in his temple. Schooling his face and tone into a politely cheerful mask he looked back at his new student.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi, retired ANBU captain. The council sent me over to let you know that they've scheduled extra one-on-one training with me for you when your arm and ribs are healed." Kakashi replied, causing Sasuke's scowl to deepen.

"And why would I train with someone like you?" Sasuke asked arrogantly. Kakashi could feel the vein growing, and began mentally putting together the escape route he would need if he put the Uchiha in traction, which was looking inevitable at the rate this was going.

" _Maybe because I was already a chunin at your age, and made jonin by the time you'll graduate?"_ Kakashi had to keep himself from repeating his thoughts out loud.

"The council has assigned me to this role, if you have an issue with it take it up with the Hokage. Besides" Kakashi couldn't resist getting a shot in on the arrogant boy. "after what happened at the tournament, I would think you'd welcome the chance to get stronger." He watched as Sasuke's face went from scornful to furious.

"That dobe just got lucky! If I hadn't given him a free shot he would have never won!" Sasuke yelled, his face turning red.

" _Right, because someone that can break your arm and two ribs with a kick is obviously weak. Besides, what kind of shinobi gives their opponent a free shot?_ " Kakashi just looked back at Sasuke with his one visible eye.

"Shinobi use anything they can in a fight, including their opponent. If you want to taunt people like that, make sure you're strong enough to deal with the consequences. Either way, the council gave me this job so if you have an issue, take it up with them. Otherwise we start in two weeks." He turned and quickly left the room, and a fuming Uchiha, behind.

As he walked away Kakashi couldn't help himself from muttering under his breath.

"Seriously, who gives their opponent a free hit?"

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Hinata stood with her head bowed in her father's office as she waited for him to acknowledge her presence. She'd never been particularly comfortable in her father's presence, her shy nature combining in a volatile manner with his desire for an heir "befitting the clan". Her mother constantly told her that her father loved her and Hanabi, but she couldn't for the life of her tell that from his actions. Apart from personally training her, something that was happening less and less as time went by and her obvious unsuitability with the Jyuuken became more obvious, she couldn't see any difference in how he treated her and how he treated the branch members he so casually ordered around.

After several minutes of paperwork her father finally looked up at her, his pale eyes calculating as he took in her posture.

"I've been told you placed first in the Parent's Day tournament?" His tone held no hint of pride, his voice was flat.

"Y-yes father. I p-placed first out of the g-girls bracket." Each stutter seemed to freeze his expression a little more, and it took all her willpower for Hinata to keep from flinching at the icy look.

"Your mother informed me that you had some trouble against the weapons user. We will be increasing your training until we rectify this. Now that you've proven the superiority of the Hyūga over the civilians and lesser clan heirs, nothing less than perfection can be allowed. You must never allow them to see weakness." His voice sharpened at the last sentence, and Hinata was sure he was referring to her stuttering. She made no verbal reply, only nodded.

Hiashi motioned at the door, dismissing her, and she wasted no time escaping the confines of his office.

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Sparring with Hinata was something Naruto enjoyed for multiple reasons. She was skilled, something that Naruto could appreciate as a shinobi, but more importantly she pushed Naruto. He was undoubtedly stronger, and his range of techniques meant he had a more flexible fighting style, but Hinata was more _precise_. Years of studying under an overbearing father in a style that fought her every step of the way had taught her how to utilize every skill she _did_ manage to master with the utmost efficiency, and it showed in her fighting style( once she got over her reticence to cause pain). Sloppy moves and inaccurate attacks were punished with quick strikes that left his limbs weak or numb, and any attack that was not directly on target was avoided with a liquid grace that Naruto was hard-pressed emulate. Because of her strict training schedule at home Naruto's training with her was normally limited to once every week or two, but the opportunity for him to fight with his bloodline was liberating, and Hitomi had let slip that Hinata was always more enthusiastic during their sessions than any of the ones in the Hyūga compound.

Naruto could see both Hitomi and Hizashi out of the corner of his eye as he focused on Hinata, the three chains he'd manifested weaving a hypnotic pattern as they lashed out in a series of quick strikes. It had taken quite some time for the three Byakugan users to become accustomed to the transparent nature of his bloodline when their dojutsu was activated, but they had all become proficient in tracking the shimmering constructs over the last two years. Even with the relative disadvantage of the weights Hitomi had borrowed from him for her daughter to wear Naruto was unable to catch Hinata with any of his attacks. She danced to the side of one of his (blunted) chains only to fall backwards in a complete bridge, avoiding the other two chains that had snuck in from the sides to try and encircle her, the motion catching Naruto completely off guard. With a display of core strength he would have never believed possible if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes Hinata whipped her body forward into a crouch and lunged forward, her strikes seeming to melt around the defensive chains he manifested to strike several of his tenketsu, leaving him numb on the right side. He tried to backpedal, using his chains as a substitute for his disabled leg, but the shock of the sudden attack combined with the overextended position the attacks had left him in prevented his escape. It was only moments later that he held left arm up in surrender, Hinata's palm hovering over the center of his chest.

"Nice job Hinata!" He exclaimed, somewhat off balance from the disabled limbs. "At this rate I'm going to have to take off my weights if I want any chance of keeping up with you." Hinata blushed slightly at the complement.

"I-I just got lucky. If we were using ninjutsu I could never get close to you" She said softly as she reopened his tenketsu. Naruto winced for a moment at the stinging sensation it caused, then grinned at Hinata.

"That's the point Hinata. I'm bad at taijutsu, so you're helping he get better at close-quarters fighting. And I can help you get better at ninjutsu." It took a moment for her to return his smile with a small one of her own, but it was a relief to him. There were very few people he felt comfortable being himself around, and he would be the first person to admit he wasn't the best at reading emotions, so he was always a little nervous about saying the wrong thing. With most people he didn't care what they thought, but he didn't want to inadvertently hurt someone he actually card about. As his breathing began to return to normal Naruto cocked his head to one side, then looked at Hinata.

"Hey, where did you learn to do that dodge or those last few strikes?" He asked curiously, and frowned slightly as Hinata froze up.

"What do you mean Naruto? You've seen Hinata practicing her Jyuuken before." Hizashi had walked over as Hinata reopened his tenketsu and was staring at him with what Naruto could swear was apprehension.

"Well… I've seen you guys practice the Jyuuken before, and it doesn't look like that. Someone using Jyuuken would have deflected my chains, not dodged them, and her strikes at the end were a lot more fluid than the normal Jyuuken. She's been doing stuff like that more and more over the last year, but I just thought she was adapting the Jyuuken or something. Why, is that bad?" At this point Hinata was bright red and stiff as a board, shooting panicked looks at both Hizashi and Hitomi. The Hyūga matriarch gave a resigned look at Hizashi before shrugging.

"You might as well tell him. It's not like he's going to run his mouth off about it, and he's already trusting us with his own secrets. Besides, Hinata could use the extra practice." Hizashi frowned, then sighed and turned to Naruto.

"It actually has to do with something you told me Naruto. You remember when you asked about Hinata's trouble with the Jyuuken?" Naruto nodded, his expression curious.

"The Jyuuken is designed for people with an earth affinity, something that is almost universal in the Hyūga clan. After I talked to you I decided to test Hinata's affinity and found out that she has an affinity for water, not earth, and it was causing her to have trouble with the basics of the Jyuuken. While most of the clan lacks her problem it's not the first time something like this has happened, and there is a sister style to the Jyuuken, the Ryudoken, that was created for those with a water affinity. Hinata has been learning Ryudoken in her spare time to supplement her Jyuuken training, and the more fluid styles are what you've been noticing." Naruto nodded absently as a few things he'd noticed over the last year began to make more sense, but there was one part that was confusing to him.

"So…why keep it a secret? If there's a better style for her why aren't you just focusing on the Ryudoken?" Hizashi's mouth turned down at the question and he looked back at Hitomi for a second, but her only response was a shrug. He hesitated a moment, then turned back to Naruto.

"My brother….my brother is a very traditional person, and he has great pride in the Hyūga clan. While there have been water-natured Hyūga before, there has never been a clan head or heir that has been unsuited to the Jyuuken. He is against Hinata learning the Ryudoken, and has declared that she should learn only the Jyuuken." Naruto opened his mouth but was interrupted before he could ask any more questions.

"Despite what my husband says, I would rather my daughter survive long enough to become clan head rather than demand she adhere to an outdated tradition that could see her dead on her first c-rank mission." Hitomi's voice was flat, but her expression was one of fierce determination. Naruto could only nod in agreement.

"I don't know if I have any family traditions I'm supposed to follow, but it seems, well, stupid to not use the best tools available just because one of your ancestors chose not to. New traditions have to start somewhere, right?" He said, smiling at Hinata.

"Exactly." Hitomi declared. "And now that you know, Hinata has someone else to spar against and practice the Ryudoken with. Hizashi and I are skilled at the Jyuuken, but you should always test a style against as many opponents as possible to get experience." Naruto laughed a bit at that. As if he needed another reason to train with Hinata! He looked at the girl in question with a wry smile.

"Another round? One with your new moves?" He asked, and she nodded back with a small grin. The two adults moved back to the side of the clearing, and Naruto and Hinata took up their starting stances. Hizashi raised one fist in the air for a moment before bringing it down sharply.

"Hajime!"

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Kakashi sat across from Hiruzen in the Hokage's office, his customary orange book held just below eye level. He knew his habit was normally frowned upon by most of Konoha's residents, just as he knew the old man knew every word of this particular book, and was sure that Hiruzen wouldn't begrudge him his little pastime.

"Two years Kakashi, you're telling me that two years has made no difference in his attitude?" The Hokage's voice was tired, laced with an undercurrent of irritation that had little to do with the upcoming council meeting.

"If anything it's worse." Kakashi said, turning another page. "Having 'private tutoring' didn't help him with the entitlement issues, and he's certainly just as fixated on revenge as before which, at this point, is looking highly unlikely. He's pretty skilled for his age, especially with the training I've been giving him, but Itachi was three times the ninja he is at half the age. By the time Sasuke catches up Itachi might be dead of old age." Another page turned as the Hokage leaned back in his chair, his face pensive.

"What about the psych analysis Inoichi did? We need a visible active-duty Uchiha to maintain our image amongst the other nations, but can we let him outside of the village?" Kakashi paused for a moment as he considered the question.

"For now, we can. You and I already know who his sensei is going to be, and I can keep him in line if he decides to go missing nin on us." Kakashi's casual mention of the last Uchiha defecting made Hiruzen shudder, but wasn't too unexpected. Inoichi's report on the boy hadn't given him an abundance of confidence in Sasuke's stability.

"You've spent more time with the boy than I. How do you think he'll respond to his teammates? Any bonds he makes with them, any friendships in the village at all could go a long way towards preventing that from happening." Kakashi almost laughed at the prospect.

"I've seen the class, I'll be surprised if more than 15 pass this semester, the rest just aren't ready. If you set up the teams the way I _think_ you'll set them up…..he probably won't get along with either of them. There's only 1 serious kunoichi among them and the current "top kunoichi" is the spawn of Councilwoman Haruno, and appears to have inherited her…. 'unique' voice along with her love of status. The council will push for her to be on his team, and you can't switch around the other new genin without messing up their composition, so I'll be stuck with a fangirl and someone he hates. Neither of those is likely to inspire great loyalty in the boy." Hiruzen grimaced as he grabbed the traditional hat off of the corner of the desk.

"Wonderful. As if I didn't have enough things to juggle already with the council." He looked at the hat for moment before waving it at Kakashi.

"Any chance you want to take the job and finally give me some free time?" Kakashi stared at the hat as if it was poison before smirking.

"Any chance you'd be willing to part with your signed first-edition Icha Icha collection?" Hiruzen snatched the hat back faster than Kakashi could follow as he glared at the younger jonin.

"I'll take that as a no" Hiruzen just continued to glare at him for a moment more before standing up.

"Come on, the council meeting is going to start in a few minutes.

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No matter how many times he sat in the council room, Hiruzen could never get over how different the shinobi council was from the civilian council. While the latter had the same number of members, there was a sense of dignity present whenever the shinobi council met that the civilian council seemed to lack, as if there some clarity of purpose whenever the clan heads met. He certainly enjoyed dealing with the clan heads more than the merchants and bankers that made up a majority of the civilian council, as the clan heads were all at least active-duty ninja.

He made it a point to be the first person into the council chambers before every meeting. Watching who entered with whom and how they reacted to each other gave valuable insight into the factions that operated on the council, and knowing how his council interacted let him operate a little more freely when he needed something…contentious passed. The first person through the door was, as usual, his old friend Shimura Danzo, arriving early for the same reasons Hiruzen did. A small nod was all the greeting they needed after so many years, formality lost in the fire of dozens of missions together. Danzo was acting as the representative for the Uchiha seat until Sasuke came of age (although the thought of Sasuke on the council was troubling), and was a staunch conservative loyalist.

Next through the door was the elder Ino-Shika-Cho group, together as always. Their heirs were all due to graduate this year but they were all relaxed anyways, there was never really a doubt that they'd all be on the same team. The Ino-Shika-Cho combination had been around nearly since Konoha's foundation, their clan's association dating back to the warring clan's period, and Konoha would never pass up on continuing such a successful grouping. They noticeably ignored Danzo, not that he made any overtures, but their political bent was decidedly opposite the more warlike elder. When Inuzuka Tsume walked in a few minutes later they greeted her warmly, however, as they'd been allies and friends for many years.

Aburame Shibi was, like most of his clan, an enigma to Hiruzen. He knew they weren't the emotionless hives many people said they were, he'd been around enough of them to know that, but they were so coldly logical most of the time that he could never tell just what direction their vote would fall on in any situation. While this made them a decidedly neutral faction on the council, they were unpredictable unless one could show them a clear net gain for any law.

The Kurama head walked in and quickly sat down after exchanging brief greetings with Danzo, but it was the Hyūga representative's entrance that somewhat threw him. Instead of the stern visage of Hiashi, it was his wife Hitomi who walked through the door.

" _Probably decided the team meeting would be below his notice"_ Hiruzen thought as he watched Hitomi greet Tsume before taking her seat to Danzo's right. He saw his old friend scowl slightly at the sight of the Hyūga matriarch and almost laughed. Today's meeting was mostly a formality with no real business beyond the team assignments being discussed, but Danzo hated anything that shook up his power base, and Hitomi was not known for voting in lockstep with Hiashi. That she was here instead of her husband was a clear indication that he thought nothing momentous would be brought up today.

The last of the council members to arrive was, as always, the unaffiliated representative. Maruboshi Kosuke had been a friend for longer than Hiruzen really wanted to think about, and it always made him smile to see the old codger at these meetings. It had taken a nearly unanimous vote and Hiruzen himself ordering him to take the position to see Kosuke in that chair, but he really was the best choice to represent the clanless ninja, something he did with great vigor when he got over his own reticence.

As it always did before each council meeting, Hiruzen's gaze swept over the three empty chairs that had stood for the last several decades. His own family seat as the head of the Sarutobi clan was empty due to his status as Hokage, technically giving him 2 votes, but it was the other two that always pulled at his heart. The Senju seat had been empty since the beginning of Tsunade's exodus, although the laws laid down at the founding of Konoha preserved the seat on the council there was no one besides his old student capable of voting for it. Naruto was too young to take up the seat (even if he decided to give up his anonymity), and every attempt at reaching out to Tsunade for a proxy (or preferably her return) had been swiftly rebuffed.

" _Less than a century ago they were one of the two most powerful shinobi clans, over 100 members…now down to 2 descendants."_ Hiruzen thought morosely. If his teachers could see how far their clan's star had waned…

The last empty seat was the one that hurt the worst. The Namikaze had never been a prolific clan, but they had been one of the first to join after the Senju and Uchiha. They had only had one truly famous ninja, Minato, but his fame had been their undoing. Unable to strike against someone so powerful directly, his enemies had gone after his more vulnerable family one strike at a time. At the beginning of Minato's rise there had been 17 Namikaze living in Konoha, by the time Minato had finished his first year as Yondaime Hokage there were only 2. Accidents, deaths on missions, 'natural circumstances', all had claimed clan members one after the other leaving Naruto in an even worse situation than his father: An orphan, yes, but without the backup of a clan or family behind him to help soften the blow. He shook his head to clear the melancholy thoughts as his advisors opened the council meeting, and focused on the task at hand.

"As I'm sure all of you are aware, the academy is producing another graduating class, and we need to confirm the team compositions as always. Hopefully this will go quickly, as I'm sure many of you wish to prepare your celebrations as your heirs pass from students to full shinobi." There were 7 clan heirs in this graduating class, a rather absurd number, and he could see the pride on the faces of their parents. Hiruzen made a motion to the ANBU guarding the door, and it was opened to admit the Jonin senseis for the upcoming teams. The four of them filed in to stand in front of the council, and Hiruzen looked at each of them in turn before giving a slight nod to Kakashi, for once without his little orange book.

"From the academy records we expect to have, at most, 12 graduating students from this class. As none of the last crop of academy graduates has yet taken the Chunin exams, their compositions can stay the same, so we only have to set up 4 prospective teams." Hiruzen threw a quick glance at the elder Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

"As the last iteration of a Yamanaka-Nara-Akimichi team has proven extremely successful, I see no reason not to recreate that dynamic with your heirs. My son has spent a number of years working as one of the 12 Guardian Ninja and, as a result, has a working understanding of cooperation tactics in guarding or capture missions, and I'd like to have him assigned as the sensei to Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru." No dissenting voices came from the council at the announcement. During the last war the elder trio had proven their success as a capture and interrogation team dozens of times, and there were always intelligence and scouting missions needed to keep the village's information network up to date. Hiruzen pulled out the authorization forms and his stamp of office, and a moment later the team was official.

"Next we have a team designed to cover the loss of our previous tracker-specialist team last year. Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyūga Hinata will, I believe, form a potent combination for the tracking of subjects, and the combination of the Aburame kikaichū and Hyūga Jyuuken give them decent potential as a capture team, and with the Inuzuka's clan techniques proving a bit of heavy fire should the situation merit such action." He paused a moment, knowing he might receive some opposition for the next announcement.

"As their Jonin sensei I'm assigning Yūhi Kurenai."

As he had feared, there were several protests, but notably not from the Hyūga matriarch. Hiruzen waited a moment for the furor to die down before looking to the loudest protestor, Tsume, and motioning for her to speak.

"Hokage-sama, why assign a Genjutsu specialist to a tracking team instead of someone like Kakashi? We all know he has the dog contract, a summon particularly suited to tracking, why not add that strength to this supposed team?" Hiruzen was actually relieved (if a bit surprised) at the rational argument. Tsume had a tendency to react emotionally to surprises, especially ones involving her family, but she appeared to be holding her more…intense instincts to herself.

"Two reasons: First, Kakashi is needed as the sensei for another squad due to his…unique abilities, which will become apparent in a minute. Secondly, Kakashi may have a summoning contract suited for tracking, but he is still primarily a close-assault fighter. While the Jyuuken and Inuzuka styles are undoubtedly powerful, they require you to be close to the enemy, and kikaichū take time to drain an opponent of any large amount of chakra. Yūhi-san's genjutsu works well in the mid-range slot, and can disorient or disable an opponent long enough to get Hinata or Kiba close enough, or give Shino time to drain the target. Additionally her genjutsu can be used to shield the team from detection or lead pursuers away. This squad is not designed for heavy combat, rather for tracking, and Yūhi-san fulfills that role more than adequately. Hiruzen noticed Hitomi smiling at Kurenai as he spoke, and had to school his face into a neutral expression.

" _It also doesn't hurt that she's friends with Hitomi, which will help her deal with the other clan heirs_ " He thought slyly. There was always a bit of friction when clanless senseis had clan heirs on their teams, as they often thought their heir status should garner them respect beyond the norm.

As Tsume settled back into her seat Hiruzen looked down at the roster for his last pre-formed team. If he was able to slip Naruto's graduation and team assignment past the council he would finally be able to stop worrying about the civilian council's reaction to the boy's true identity, something he'd been looking forward to for a long time. His greatest fear was that Naruto's status as the Kyuubi's container would be leaked, and that the cutthroat politics that abounded in the council would force Naruto to undergo the kind of training Danzo had been pushing for so long. Hiruzen had seen what a trained demon container could do during the last war and could not deny such an asset would benefit Konoha, but the kind of life the more militant council members would force on the boy was something he could never stomach for his successor's child. As soon as Naruto became an official genin of Konoha he would be in the normal command structure, a structure with Hiruzen as the ultimate authority, a position he could use to shield the boy from those who saw him only as a weapon.

"Our third proposed team is going to fill the role of a versatile assault squad under Hatake Kakashi" Hiruzen nodded to the cyclopean jonin briefly before turning back to the council. "As I mentioned before, Kakashi's unique advantage is required for special training, in this case teaching Uchiha Sasuke how to use his sharingan once it awakens. By his records at the academy Sasuke is a good candidate for a mixed close/medium range combatant, and the addition of the sharingan will make him a formidable fighter. As I'm sure you all know, current policy for a combat squad is to pair close range fighters with longer-range fighters, so the second member of his team will be one Haruno Sakura. Her chakra control is very well developed, and with the right training she could be a potent genjutsu or medical specialist operating in a backup capacity." Hiruzen took a quick, quiet breath to steady himself and hide his anticipation. "Lastly we have Kodama Ruto filling out the team's composition as a backup medium range fighter with some close range ability." Hiruzen looked at Kakashi as he finished the announcement. The real reason for Ruto's assignment under Kakashi was much simpler, he had the boy's trust and knew his true identity. With Kakashi as his sensei Naruto would have someone who could actively work to help cover for him instead of treating the entire team like a stealth assignment.

The council seemed to take little notice of the team's assignment beyond hearing the Uchiha was on it, and the lack of argument from Danzo seemed to cement the overall decision to leave the team be. As long as Sasuke's instructor was an elite, especially a sharingan-wielder, they were happy. Hiruzen let out a discreet relieved sigh, and moved to quickly finish the last announcements before he did or said something to jeopardize what he'd accomplished today.

"As I said before, we expect no more than 12 graduates, but realistically only 9 are certain. Should we have more than 9 graduates Hyūga Ko will be assigned as their sensei." He looked around the council members, many of whom were showing signs of restlessness as they sensed the meeting coming to an end. "If there is nothing else, I believe we're done for the day."

Faster than he would have thought possible the room emptied of the various representatives and jonin sensei, until only Kakashi and Hiruzen remained.

"That went well" Kakashi commented.

"As long as I placed you as Sasuke's sensei I don't think they cared who else we put on the team." Hiruzen finally let a relieved smile break on his face.

"After tomorrow he'll be free of the civilian council, and I can protect if he chooses to claim his real identity." Kakashi looked up from his book.

"You think he'll come clean? He certainly seems happier in hiding than he ever was as himself" Kakashi's comment caused an almost imperceptible wince as Hiruzen remembered his failure with Naruto's childhood.

"It's up to him. I made the mistake of thinking I knew best how to deal with his identity once, not a mistake I'm willing to repeat. If he chooses to live under an assumed name for the rest of his life that's his choice. All I can do is make sure it is _his_ choice to make." Kakashi gave a small nod before turning to the door.

"Kakashi" Hiruzen's voice caused him to stop and look back, eyebrow raised.

"I know Naruto doesn't get along with Sasuke or Sakura, but the council is in the Uchiha's back pocket. I need you to keep this from blowing up in our faces, at least until we can get him to chunin rank. I don't need to tell you what will happen if he snaps and goes after either of them." Kakashi's only response was another small nod before turning to leave.

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Naruto sat high in the branches of a tree overlooking the grounds he'd used to train with Itachi, staring into space as he idly flipped a piece of smooth wood over and over. The carved image of Itachi on one side came and went from his sight as the piece tumbled, but he barely registered the action as he relived memories of several years ago.

"I'm taking the first steps." He said softly as he looked down, a phantom overlay of his first sensei in his mind's eye as he looked over the little reminders of their training that remained, even after several years.

Today had been something he'd been working towards for more than half of his life, the Ninja Academy graduation. While the written portion had been a bit difficulty due to the dry material, he'd blown through the practical portion with absurd ease. He'd been throwing shuriken for years, and it still baffled him that they thought the ability to perform the three basic ninjutsu made you qualified to be an active-duty shinobi. After all, they'd learned all three in their first year at the academy! While he was glad to finally be considered an active-duty shinobi, the sheer ease with which he'd passed took some of the luster from the accomplishment.

To add insult to injury the team assignments had been something straight out of a sick joke for him. He was glad that Hinata had Shino on her team to watch out for her, although he was a little sad that he'd been placed on another team, but thinking about his new 'teammates' nearly made him sick. How could they put him with the two people he least liked out of the whole class!? The thought of spending every day with Haruno and the Uchiha was nauseating, even though he was glad to have Kakashi as a sensei. Naruto heaved a loud sigh as he turned slightly on the branch.

He stared at the setting sun that backlit Konoha's walls. One might have thought that beating Sasuke so badly two years ago would discourage the other boy, but as far as Naruto could tell it had actually made him _worse._ To compound this, every time the pink-haired girl saw him she acted as if she'd killed her puppy or something, causing him to avoid them both as much as possible, and now he was stuck on a team with them.

" _The things I do to keep my oaths"_ He thought.

As he watched the sun slowly slip down behind the walls of Konaha, his thoughts drifting, a flash of reflected light and motion momentarily caught his attention. He caught a split-second of motion as a figure leapt off of the wall surrounding the village and launched into the forest. He froze for a moment, unsure what to do, when another figure copied the first. The second was clearly in pursuit of the first if the speed was anything to go by, and the urgency of the second figure's motions finally made up Naruto's mind. Pulling quickly to his feet he took off in the direction the two figures had been heading, his feet making no noise as he leapt from branch to branch.

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It was around the same time that the giant shuriken hit him from behind that Iruka came to the realization that chasing his longtime coworker into the forest alone was _probably_ a bad idea. Of course, this realization wasn't particularly helpful when it came to dealing with the pain blossoming along his spine or the traitor he'd called a friend for almost a decade, but the thoughts that run through one's head in a life-threatening situation are sometimes funny like that.

He managed to keep to his feet by an effort of sheer will, but when Mizuki walked out from behind one of the large trees that made up so much of the forest around Konoha Iruka knew he was in a bad position. His eyes traveled briefly over the haughty expression on his former comrade's face before traveling to the large scroll strapped across his back, the same scroll he'd recognized when he noticed Mizuki running towards the village walls almost half an hour before.

"Wondering why I did it?" Mizuki taunted, his hand coming up to touch his prize for a moment before leisurely grabbing another large shuriken.

"Would you even tell me if I said yes?" Iruka spat out between gasps, the effort involved in the short question causing pain to flair around his wound. He could feel a distressingly large amount of blood flowing down his back now, and his head was starting to feel a bit light.

"Probably not, but this is the first time I've been caught betraying someone. It seemed like the thing to say." He was smiling now, an aggravating little smirk that made Iruka wish he had the strength to send a shuriken, kunai, _something_ at him to wipe it off his face. Mizuki fingered the weapon in his hand, shifting it into a more comfortable position for throwing.

"It's almost funny. You spend all your time teaching the brats how to spot deception and avoid ambushes, and you walk right into one. I didn't even have to really hide, just stop running for a moment and you left yourself wide open. Maybe this will shock some of the little shits badly enough that they'll actually pay attention." His arm came back as he prepared to throw the shuriken, and then whipped forward. As much as he wished otherwise, Iruka knew he wouldn't be able to dodge the blade, not with the blackness creeping into the edges of his vision as his lifeblood flowed out down his back. He watched as the blade spun towards him, refusing to close his eyes and give in, and then everything went black.

" _The afterlife is surprisingly…..monocromatic"_ He thought, surprised. He had expected to die as soon as the reality of his wounds had sunk in, but he'd been expecting something a little more…interesting than the black void around him. The thought lasted for a few moments before a ray of weak light pierced the infinitely black expanse around him. It was joined a second later by another, and then another as the darkness seemed to break apart as he watched. In the space of only a few moments the familiar view of the nighttime forest came back into view, his traitorous opponent staring at him in shock as the inky dome that had covered him crumbled into dust, dropping the shuriken that had almost taken his life to the ground in front of him.

"I'll admit, I didn't think you had a last gasp in you Iruka. Impressive, but pointless." It was only a normal shuriken instead of the giant ones he'd used before, but in Mizuki's hands the weapon was just as deadly to Iruka as its larger brethren had been.

As Mizuki attempted to throw the shuriken at Iruka's head, however, something quickly wrapped around his foot and pulled, sending him sprawling face first into the leaf-covered floor of the forest. He was only down for a moment, however as soon as he was on his feet he looked down to discover what had tripped him, and found nothing. His eyes quickly looked to Iruka, still fading, and immediately dismissed the wounded man as a threat. His eyes began scanning the area around them, constantly darting at the lengthening shadows, and he slowly backed away.

"As much as I would love to stay and play with you and your friend, Iruka, I have a delivery to make. I'd say I'll see you again, but we both know that's not true." He didn't bother looking at Iruka as he spoke, rather scanning the forest as he turned away from Konoha. He made it all of two steps before a hail of kunai forced him to leap backwards. As soon as he landed he turned quickly towards Iruka and grabbed him by the throat.

"Tell your friend to back off or I'll break your neck" He hissed, the previous good attitude evaporating under the unexpected assault. Iruka barely had the strength left to breathe a response.

"Scared, traitor? I don't know who's out there, but I hope they show you exactly what happens to those that betray their comrades." The hand tightening on his throat prevented him from saying anything else, but he saw a flicker of fear in Mizuki's eyes. The hand around his throat lifted him higher as Mizuki scanned the area around him, his posture tense.

"You can't betray people you were never loyal t-" His words were cut off as another brace of kunai rained out from the trees to his right, causing him to dodge to the side. Unfortunately he was still holding Iruka as he did so, and the motion-induced pain finally pushed him over the edge. As Mizuki scanned the trees where the blades had originated, Iruka felt a pulling sensation as the world dimmed. His conscious mind slipped under, a single thought floating to the top.

" _Mizuki doesn't have red hair….."_

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As he stared at the forest around him, Mizuki was rapidly coming to regret the time he'd taken to stop Iruka. If he'd simply left after he'd seen the shuriken punch into his old friend's back he'd already be halfway to the border of Hi no Kuni, instead he was stuck fighting against someone he couldn't see with only Iruka's unconscious body as a hostage. The light was rapidly fading as the last vestiges of the sun sunk below the horizon, and as much as he would deny it teaching at the academy had not been conductive to keeping up his combat skills. Against someone like Iruka who was also rusty, this wasn't much of a problem, but whoever was in the forest was staying out of sight and Mizuki already had several small scratches from the kunai that seemed to come out of nowhere. He was just lucky they didn't seem to be poisoned, or he'd be screwed. He looked down at his hostage just long enough to see his chest rise, and knew he had to make a decision. If he stayed here sooner or later he'd be caught, but if the person out there was better than him as soon as he left his hostage behind he'd be taken down. He hesitated a moment as indecision slowed his movements, just in time for another shower of projectiles to materialize from the trees. He dodged most of them, but a single shuriken struck deeply into his right forearm and solidified his decision.

"Screw this. Have fun dying on your own Iruka." He let go of his hostage, deciding that the risks of running alone outweighed the benefit of the hostage, but instead of falling Iruka's hand reached up and grabbed Mizuki's injured forearm. Hissing in pain and shock he looked down at the unconscious chunin, but instead of the dark eyes he'd been expecting a pair of green eyes stared back from under a mop of red hair.

"Who-" He was cut off as a pair of transparent chains sprang from the boy's chest, wrapping around Mizuki's body and pinning his arms. Out of the corner of his eye he saw an identical copy of the same boy dash over to him, and another pair of the transparent chains sprang from the newcomer to grab the scroll from Mizuki's back before he dashed away again.

Seeing his prize pulled out from underneath him finally pulled Mizuki out from his shocked immobility, and he began to struggle against the chains. As he managed to gain a little room due to the space the scroll had occupied now being open, he grabbed one of his remaining kunai. The angle was awkward because of the restrictions the chains imposed, but he managed to bring the point to bear right into the stomach of the boy holding him captive, and he smiled as he felt the blade sink home. He smirked into the green eyes in front of him, only to see a matching smirk as the blade sunk home.

"Boom"

Mizuki felt a moment of confusion at the statement, but it was rapidly overtaken by pain as his world exploded.

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Naruto watched from a suitably distant branch as the light from his Bunshin Daibakuha receded back to a small glow from the remaining ignited underbrush, the memories of the clone he'd used filling him in as to what had happened. When he'd first come across Iruka and Mizuki in the forest he'd seen Iruka's wound and known it was serious, but it was only after he'd been able to distract Mizuki that he'd managed to kawarimi with Iruka to put his plan in motion. Even as he watched over the area another clone was carrying the injured Iruka towards the Konoha hospital, and Naruto had to fight down a surge of worry as he thought about the older man's wounds. The blood brought back images of Akihiro and almost made him freeze up before he'd pushed them down, and he didn't want to think about the amount of blood he'd seen on the forest floor.

He wasn't sure how Mizuki and Iruka had managed to avoid setting off any alarms, but he wasn't naïve enough to think that an explosion less than ten minutes from the village was going to go unnoticed, and he was wondering whether or not to say anything when the first shinobi began to reach the scene. He didn't recognize the first two he saw, but the third man on scene was unmistakable. He might not trust the Hokage as much as he once did, but he could never mistake the aura of command or the bo staff the old man carried for anything else. He spared a glance at the scroll on his back.

"This thing must be important if the old man is out looking for it. Wonder what it is.." He fought down his curious tendencies and forced himself to sneak closer to the investigating ninja. More were showing up by the second, and it took a great deal of effort to get within shouting distance of them without being discovered, but because of the distraction caused by the cooked Mizuki he managed. He extended a single chain as far as he could, keeping it under the leaves that carpeted much of the forest floor, and raised it to tap against the Hokage's leg. Before the tip could reach its target the end of the staff Hiruzen carried slammed into the chain, pushing it into the soft earth. Naruto saw Hiruzen give a discreet look down at the offending object, and he managed to slowly manifest another tip to point towards his hiding spot. Hiruzen's eyes followed the chain to Naruto's, and he nodded before turning back to give an order to his ANBU. Naruto dissolved the chain before moving several yards back to wait, but less than a minute later the Hokage walked silently into view.

"I presume you can tell me why one of my academy instructors is currently charbroiled less than fifty yards away and newly minted genin has the Scroll of Seals?" His voice was dry, but there was no real heat in it. Naruto looked at the scroll for a moment before answering.

"Mizuki stole the scroll, Iruka went after him. Iruka was hurt so I stepped in and, well…. I might have been a bit excessive." He had the good grace to blush a bit at that. He didn't like traitors, but he also hadn't expected the explosion to be quite so devastating at close range. After all, Kakashi had taken more than one at that range and come through ok.

"A bit." The Hokage agreed sardonically. "I suppose I should be glad you didn't do the same to the scroll then." Naruto nodded as he reached up and pulled the aforementioned scroll of his back. He handed it to the Hokage who didn't bother to open it. "What happened to Iruka?" He asked.

"My clone left him at the hospital. He was unconscious when it dispelled." He didn't mention how frantic the doctors had sounded when they saw Iruka.

"Did he see you?" Naruto paused.

"I don't think so. He was pretty out of it, he'll probably think it was a dream if he did." Hiruzen nodded, and then looked back at the clearing.

"I don't know _how_ I'm going to explain this." Naruto heard him mutter under his breath, and a small grin stretched his features as the old man looked back at him.

"I guess I should let you go to bed. After all, you have your first day with your team tomorrow." Naruto scowled at that, but bowed anyways.

"Goodnight Naruto" The Hokage called softly. "And good job. I can't tell you how much damage someone could have done with that scroll. I'll have payment for a B-class mission deposited in your accounts, it just might take me a while to hide the expenses." Naruto simply raised a hand in acknowledgment as he left the clearing.

Hiruzen watched the direction he'd left in for a moment before looking down and sighing.

"One day something is going to happen in this village and he's _not_ going to be at the heart of it, and I'm going to have a heart attack in shock." A small chuckle escaped his lips before he turned to clean up another of the infinite messes that came with running a ninja village.

A/N: So i finally posted a chapter! As a few people know, i just finished the classroom portion of medical school and it involved 2 weeks of finals that curtailed my writing quite a bit. Add that to a move halfway across the hemisphere from the equator all the way to illinois and I hope y'all can understand why I was so late posting this chapter. Its a bit of filler, but as much as we hate filler it needs to be done sometimes. Next chapter goes into familiar territory, my take on the infamous Wave arc, and I hope it'll be back into my normal writing form. Review if you have criticism or something you like, otherwise I can't change anything!

Best Wishes to you all,

Venu3374


	7. Chapter 6: Broken Earth and Flower Petal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did there would be more platypus summons.**

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 **Chapter 6: Broken Earth and Flower Petals**

Naruto's thoughts concerning Kakashi had shifted gradually over the years, mirroring in many ways his slow trip back into Konoha society. During his years in the woods, Naruto had mainly looked upon the (then masked) older shinobi with a mix of amusement and caution from the treetops as he ran circles around both Kakashi and his partner, sometimes literally if he was feeling particularly daring. After his reentry into Konoha, Kakashi had become one of the few constants in Naruto's life, first as a warily tolerated sparring partner, then as a trusted teacher and, on some level, friend as the years moved on. Despite the years that had passed since his time in the forest, Naruto still carried reminders of the time he'd spent there and, as a consequence, was extremely slow to trust. Kakashi had, through years of actions, proved himself to Naruto as one of the few people the young boy would say he could truly count on. And at the moment he wanted nothing more than to light that shock of white hair on fire.

"This is ridiculous!" Naruto winced imperceptibly as Sakura's yell broke the morning stillness. "He's almost three hours late! How can he expect to gain our respect if he can't even show up on time!" Her not so covert glance at Sasuke when she said "our" left no ambiguity as to whose respect she considered important.

Despite his habitual distaste for anything coming out of the pinkette's mouth, Naruto found himself in the awkward position of agreeing with her, possibly for the first time in his life. Even Sasuke, who could rarely be bothered to respond to anything that his fangirls said, spared a single annoyed grunt at their new sensei's behavior.

Naruto had been the first to arrive at the field this morning, arriving nearly half an hour before either of his new teammates, worried that Kakashi would use the time since their meeting the previous day to set up one of his trademark ambushes. Over the last few years Naruto had been caught in quite a few of them, causing him to develop a sense of paranoia where the older man was concerned. Sasuke and Sakura had shown up with only minutes to spare before the appointed meeting time, and Naruto had relaxed slightly at the lack of sudden explosions or flying objects as the sun slowly peeked over the horizon. His sense of relief had quickly turned to confusion, and finally to irritation as minutes turned to hours. It was only the fact that he refused to imitate Sakura in _anything_ that kept him from voicing some of his irritation.

When the sun's creeping progress signaled the _third_ hour had passed with no sign of Kakashi, and Naruto was starting to contemplate leaving (either to find Kakashi and drag him back to the other two, or to go get some ramen), a figure bearing the unmistakable white hair of their sensei walked casually into the clearing from the direction of the village proper, his ever-present book held in one hand.

"Hello everybody!" He called cheerfully, ignoring the glares that came his way.

"I'm so glad you're all here on time, I hate people who can't follow simple instructions" It took a moment for the words to work themselves past the fatigue and irritation that was clouding their brains.

"You told us to meet you three hours ago!" Sakura shrieked, and for a second Kakashi's nonchalant façade cracked as he raised an eyebrow at the volume.

"Oh, did I? Well I was distracted helping an old lady get her dog out of a tree, they're not very good at climbing you know." Naruto had long since learned to ignore some of the more…outlandish of Kakashi's excuses when he showed up late for something (although 3 hours was pushing it, even for him), but the other two were struck temporarily speechless.

"Now that I'm here, I'm guessing you'd all like to know why I've called you all here this morning" He looked around for a moment, and Naruto could swear he was smirking under the ever-present mask.

"We're going to have a little _test._ " The last word was spoken with definite relish, and Naruto felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

" _That's not good"_ He thought, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Kakashi.

"What kind of test?" Sasuke asked, speaking for the first time since he'd shown up at the clearing. His posture as relaxed as he sat against one of the sparring posts that littered the area, his voice lacking any of the caution that one would expect from someone that spent part of the last 2 years training with Kakashi.

"It's simple" Kakashi said with his trademark eye smile, holding up a pair of bells that he'd taken from his waist. "There are two bells here, and three of you. In a few minutes I'll set a timer for an hour, and at the end of the hour whoever has a bell officially becomes part of team 7. Whoever fails to grab a bell goes back to the academy." He paused a second as his gaze went over the three shocked youths in front of him. "If it makes you feel any better, you've already passed the graduation test once. I'm sure you can do it again."

Even as Naruto's brain began to rush through every spar he'd ever had with the jonin (none of which he'd ever come _close_ to winning) in an effort to find a strategy that would keep him from at least another six months of drudgery, Sakura was making her ire known.

"That's insane! How can you expect genin to fight with a jonin on our first day? You're just making it impossible for Ruto and I to be on the same team as Sasuke-kun! And who's ever heard of a team with less than three people?" Kakashi's visible eye narrowed for a second at the implication that he might lose to the Uchiha, but his voice was calm.

"ANBU and capture and interrogation, to name a few. In fact, ANBU teams often operate in pairs. It's just your luck that I spent 10 years in ANBU and work best in that format!" His cheery rejoinder rocked Sakura back for a second, and Kakashi used the opportunity to pull out an old-fashioned egg timer from a pocket of his vest. A quick turn later he set it on one of the posts, and then moved to stand in front of the three of them.

"Well, what are you waiting for? It doesn't matter to me what you do, but at the end of the hour if you don't have a bell I'm cutting you loose. Oh, and I would suggest you come at me to kill. It's not going to be interesting otherwise." His words acted like a starting bell for the genin, but with radically different results. Sasuke was the first to move, rushing forward to engage Kakashi in hand to hand combat before the older shinobi could put his book away and free up his other hand. Far from disadvantaging him, however, Kakashi proved skill by deflecting everything the last Uchiha threw at him with one hand, never even glancing up from his book as he did so. Sakura was slightly more circumspect, throwing a brace of kunai ahead of her crush's advance, and then pulling back slightly in order to take advantage of any opening Kakashi provided as he countered Sasuke's assault. It was a textbook strategy taught at the academy for a support role, one that relied on the user's ability to react to a changing situation quickly.

Naruto, in contrast to the other two, had immediately leapt as far backwards as he could the moment Kakashi had spoken, putting as much distance between them as he could while keeping his eye on the cyclopean jonin. His mind had been working feverishly, trying to find a way to get one of the bells away from his opponent, but no matter what avenue he considered he could never find one that seemed to give him even a small chance of success, much less a decent one.

" _He's faster than Lee or me, his ninjutsu is better than anything I've got besides the_ _ **Bunshin Daibakuha**_ _, but that would destroy the bells anyway, and the only tags I've got on me are exploding and barrier tags….."_ He watched as Sasuke's assault failed to even make Kakashi put his book down, his gaze briefly flickering to Sakura as he watched her circle around the edge of the two combatants. Deciding that a sneak attack might work better with Kakashi underestimating them and fighting Sasuke than it had when they were sparring 1v1, Naruto created a quick half dozen clones, their forms quickly sinking into the ground with a concerted **Moguragakure no Jutsu**.

" _They're getting nowhere and, as much as I don't want to admit it, I don't think I'd be doing any better. He's fought me enough times to know that getting a bell is a long shot, even for me, and there's no way he expect Haruno to get a bell, not with her skills….Why give us an impossible test? If he didn't want a team this badly he could have just turned it down, making us fail here would only serve to show how unprepared we are for this level of opponent, and it's not like there aren't easier ways to teach that lesson…."_ Naruto paused for a moment as Kakashi's earlier words ran through his mind.

" _He never said anything about genin teams working as pairs, just ANBU and capture…."_ Naruto almost smacked himself, Kakashi had practically spelled it out for them, if only they took the time to look at it from the right angle. It was true ANBU worked in pairs sometimes, but genin teams were always 3 genin and a jonin, which meant that this test had another purpose than splitting them up. Obviously the bells created an objective, but why tell them something that would turn them against each other?

Naruto winced as the memories of his clones returned, bringing him images of a series of brutal kicks and, in one case an elbow, as they were dispatched during their sneak assault. Worse, rather than take advantage of the sudden allies provided by the clone's appearance, Sasuke had completely ignored their presence, pressing his attack and completely disregarding any kind of teamwork. Naruto looked over at the dark-haired boy in annoyance just in time to see Kakashi throw a kick with a deceptively lazy movement, catching Sasuke in the chest and throwing him back several meters. The Uchiha responded by falling back on his favorite technique almost immediately, and Naruto could only sigh as a four foot diameter fireball sped towards Kakashi.

The explosion that flared from the point of impact threw a large amount of dirt and rocks into the air, forcing all of the genin to shield their eyes as the heated air pushed the wave of dust past, and left Naruto furiously blinking the residual grains out of his eyes. As his vision cleared he quickly looked around for Kakashi, noting the lack of charred body inside the fireball's impact crater, and frowned slightly as he realized he couldn't see Kakashi anywhere. He could see both Sasuke and Sakura looking around wildly for their missing opponent, but it was only after he felt a minute vibration underfoot that the he managed to put together what had happened, spurring him into action. They might irritate the hell out of him, but if his forming suspicions about the test were right he would need both of them. That thought was held in the forefront of his mind as he sent a brief surge of chakra to the weights on his wrists and ankles, causing them to fall away as he sped towards his two "allies".

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The bell test was something of a legacy in Konoha, used by the teams containing the previous two Hokage's, not to mention Kakashi's own team at one point. It was something of a connection to the past for the jonin, a way of proving that this team had enough potential to survive the sometimes horrific world that ninja inhabited, and Kakashi's team was unfortunately failing it spectacularly.

Having trained with both Sasuke and Naruto (separately of course) for the last several years, he'd expected a level of friction between them, especially given the competitive spin created by having only 2 bells. What he _hadn't_ expected, however, was the sheer uselessness of the last genin on his team. Sasuke's charge-forward mentality might have been ill advised against someone of Kakashi's skill, but Sakura had done literally nothing besides throwing a single brace of projectiles. Naruto had done the correct thing in Kakashi's opinion, putting distance between a superior opponent and yourself was a decent opener, but Sakura had stayed within striking distance and not only had she not assisted Sasuke in any way, she'd actually left several opening that Kakashi could have used to take her down if he'd been so inclined. He'd actually had to shift position when Sasuke had started signing for the fireball technique in order to ensure she wouldn't be in the explosion radius, and he was rapidly considering the possibility that he would be better off with just Sasuke and Naruto, Sakura just didn't seem prepared for a combat scenario.

Currently he was sitting nearly a meter under the surface of the earth, the jutsu he'd used to sink into the ground providing a distorted image of the ground above him, observing as Sakura and Sasuke fruitlessly searched for him. He knew Naruto was out there as well, outside the range of his admittedly limited vision, but for the moment he was only targeting the two he could see. He spared a momentary thought musing about the strangeness of bracing his foot against the ground to leap upwards when he was _already_ under the ground but quickly pushed the thought down as he lunged upwards, He spared a fraction of second's focus mid-leap to create a doton bunshin that split off towards Sakura, and locked his eyes on Sasuke's feet. If this continued the way he thought it would, they would be moving onto the second stage of the bell test in a few minutes and then he could start the arduous task of explaining to the Hokage and council that their respective favorites had failed a basic teamwork exercise.

Even for someone as skilled as Kakashi a lapse in concentration can lead to unexpected consequences, and it took only a fraction of a second musing for Kakashi's plan to fall to pieces.

As Kakashi's hand broke the surface of the packed dirt that made up much of the ground of the clearing, a hand closed over the back of Sasuke's jacket, yanking him backwards and out of the reach of Kakashi's grasp. A quick look to the side showed the same rescue happening to Sakura a moment before she disappeared into the trees ringing the clearing, and Kakashi was left in the somewhat awkward position of having half his torso above the ground while half was still underneath the surface, his hands still held in the grasping position they'd been a moment before. Despite his attack's failure there was a small grin underneath his mask, and he couldn't help the feeling of pride.

"He's gotten faster" he murmured softly.

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One of the oddities about wearing weights all the time, Naruto mused to himself, was that whenever you took them off you often had issues gauging the weight of an object in your grasp without the added burden, leading to sometimes embarrassing overuses of strength. If anyone had asked Naruto, he would maintain that _that_ was the reason his rescue had almost given Sasuke whiplash, and not a subconscious desire to cause the arrogant boy a little pain during the impromptu rescue attempt.

"Get off of me dobe" Sasuke spat out unnecessarily, as Naruto had already let go of his jacket as they came to a stop just inside the ring of trees surrounding the clearing. Sakura, thankfully, was apparently still to shocked by the sudden change of position to comment.

"You're welcome, Uchiha." Naruto rejoined in a dry voice as he shifted slightly. His body felt strange without the extra weights, and he was having a small amount of trouble calibrating his motions to keep them from being too excessive.

"For what?" Sasuke said, glaring. "Getting in my way and interrupting my attack? Just because you have no chance at a bell doesn't mean you can interfere with my progress."

Naruto raised an eyebrow slightly, noting Sakura's indignant expression.

" _Oh good, the shock wears off just in time to back up her obsession. Joy."_

Naruto suppressed an aggrieved sigh for a moment, then turned and pointed back to the clearing where Kakashi was still halfway underground.

"For interfering with your impromptu burial, actually. But mostly for saving you from blowing the test for all of us." Naruto said, his irritation making his words sharper than he originally intended.

"What do you mean blowing the test? Sasuke was the only one making any progress getting a bell!" Sakura jumped in to defend the object of her affections almost reflexively, and Naruto once again questioned how someone with her academic knowledge could be so completely blinded to someone else's faults.

"First, none of us have a chance against Kakashi. The two of you together couldn't even get him to lower his book for a second, much less take a bell from him. We barely have a chance working together, alone he'll destroy us." Sasuke's expression turned stormy, but Naruto cut him off before he could say anything.

"And as for the test, use your mind for once Haruno. Kakashi skirted the question of under-strength teams. He never said genin teams work with less than 4 members, and ANBU only works with pairs for missions that require fewer people." Naruto took a breath to steady himself, and kept talking to gloss over any questions about why he knew ANBU personnel assignment patterns.

"Kakashi said this is a test, and ninja rarely do anything straightforward. We need to work together to get the bells, and if he's serious about sending someone back to the academy we can figure that out later. As it is, _none_ of us will have a bell at the end if we go alone." He could see his words having some effect on Sakura, her brain kicking in now that he wasn't directly attacking the Uchiha's perceived invincibility, but Sasuke didn't look convinced. Naruto took a moment to weight the relative merits of going back to the academy vs being stuck on a team with Sasuke, and looked back at the other boy.

"If it makes you feel better, you can have the first bell we get and Haruno and I can decide who gets the second later, it doesn't really matter to me. But we need to work together, and we need to move _soon_." He quietly emphasized the last word, throwing a quick glance at the clearing. Kakashi had pulled himself out of the earth and was quietly standing there, reading his book while they debated. Every second they spent debating was a moment closer to their deadline, and Kakashi could just wait them out if they didn't try anything.

The promise of first pick of a bell seemed to quell Sasuke enough for a grudging nod of assent, and Naruto internally sighed in relief.

"Alright, if you're willing to work with me I have a plan…."

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Kakashi stood in the center of the clearing, the latest issue of Icha-Icha paradise filling his head with blush-inducing thoughts, and wondered where his team had gone. Time was on his side in this exercise, as was strength, speed, and skill, but he was curious about what was going on out of sight. If they didn't try something soon they would lose the chance to do anything, and running away would not bode well for their futures as shinobi. He had just turned another page to follow Kosuke's rather impulsive trip into a bathhouse when he saw two figures run out of the forest in a straight path to him.

He made no moves as Sakura and Sasuke sped towards him, their paths splitting several yards away from him to circle around to opposite sides and give him two targets to follow at once. Even as Sakura's shuriken sped towards his torso and Sasuke's fist came towards his head his head stayed glued to the page, and he had to push down a small amount of disappointment at the predictability of their attacks. It hadn't worked the first time, why would it work now? He adroitly moved out of the way of the shuriken, reaching out his free hand to divert Sasuke's fist so that one of the blunted projectiles impacted on his arm, and delivered a quick side kick to the dark-haired boy's side before he could react.

Even as his leg was connecting with Sasuke's side he felt several chakra sources appear underground heading his way, and it came as no surprise when several more copies of Naruto erupted from the earth around him. A quick flurry of one-handed taijutsu served to both keep Sasuke on the defensive and dispel the clones. Another quick kick sent Sasuke back several yards, and Kakashi gave as bored a look as he could with so much of his face covered.

"You know, one definition of insanity is expecting different results from the same actions, but to me it seems much more like stupidity." Kakashi drawled. Instead of the temper-fueled outburst he expected from the Uchiha, his face twisted into a confidant smirk.

"Good advice, I'll keep that in mind" Kakashi's head whipped around at the unexpected voice, the lack of an associated chakra signature throwing him for a second. He saw Naruto crouched nearly five yards away, palms flat on the ground, and tilted his head slightly in confusion. As he opened his mouth, however, he was cut off before he could say anything.

 **"** **Fuin!"** Naruto's voice rang out, accompanied by a burst of chakra strong enough to raise the hair on the back of Kakashi's neck. Kakashi's visible eye widened in surprise as a pyramidal barrier of dark yellow chakra erupted from the ground centered on him, and Naruto's smirk was eerily similar to Sasuke's.

"Now, Uchiha!" Naruto's yell caused Kakashi to whip around, noting the buildup of chakra coming from the other boy. He had only a second to wonder how they were planning on affecting him through the barrier they'd erected before Sasuke blew out a large stream of fire.

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Despite the confidence he had in Kakashi's abilities Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit of trepidation at the sight of the barrier he'd erected being filled with fire from Sasuke's _katon_ jutsu. He'd set the normal barrier seals he carried in a reverse order, and the resulting barrier let anything _in_ , but nothing _out_. He was (mostly) sure that Kakashi wouldn't die from a combination like that, but hoped that it would distract him long enough for one of them to grab the bells.

As the stream of fire coming from Sasuke's mouth died down to a trickle the fire inside the barrier began to disappear as well, it's raging heat having eaten up all the available oxygen in the enclosure. Naruto's intent stare was quickly joined by a frown as he noted the lack of a body (living, dead, or anything in between) inside the enclosure, and then morphed into a full-out gape as he noted the charred remains of a log sitting in the center.

" _Impossible, the barrier should have prevented a_ _ **kawarimi**_ _from passing to the outside, the only way he could have done that is…_ " He looked at the barrier critically, and a second later noted that the ground at one corner wasn't just charred, but looked like _glass_.

" _He must have disrupted it with a jutsu or something for the split-second he needed to_ _ **kawarimi**_ _out!"_ Naruto's eyes began to scan the clearing even as he called out to the other two.

"He got out somehow, watch out!"

Instead of the attack he was expecting, however, he heard clapping, followed shortly by the sound of a timer going off.

"Well done you three, I really didn't think you had it in you." Kakashi had put his book down for the first time since he'd shown up that morning, and was walking slowly towards the three genin with the egg timer in his hand.

"The timer went off early, there's still nearly half an hour left" Sakura accused after a quick glance at the sky.

"The timer is irrelevant. If you didn't pass the test by now, you were going to fail no matter what you did." Kakashi said, his voice unrepentant.

"But we didn't get any of the bells yet!" Sakura exclaimed, and Kakashi shrugged.

"The bells don't matter, they were just an arbitrary goal to work towards. The _real_ test was to see if you could work together, even when the end result was bad for one of you. You worked together to try and get the bells from me, even when it would mean only 2 of you could stay on the team, and more importantly proved you can put the mission over your petty rivalries. Shinobi missions require you to put your safety, your LIFE in your team's hands. If you can't put aside your differences and work together you'll never be able to function effectively on a team." Naruto nodded slightly at the words, but both Sakura and Sasuke were glaring at Kakashi for what he'd put them through.

"So I'm guessing none of us go back to the academy?" Naruto asked, and Kakashi eye-smiled at them.

"Yes, you all passed. Congratulation!" The atmosphere was decidedly _not_ celebratory, but none of the three genin could muster up too much anger over the relief of not being sent back to the academy. Instead, Sakura and Sasuke turned and stalked off, throwing glares over their shoulder at Kakashi as they walked away and left him alone with Naruto, who smirked slightly as he looked up at his long-time trainer.

"Tough crowd" He said with a shrug. The sight of Kakashi, shoulders slumped in disappointment over the lackluster reaction to the test, kept him chuckling the entire walk home.

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"So he told you that whoever couldn't get a bell would be sent back to the academy!?" Naruto could only nod in response as his mouth was occupied. The bowl of Ichiraku's ramen in front of him was still half full, and demanded the lion's share of his attention.

They'd agreed to meet at the ramen stand after their first day as official genin of Konohagakure as a celebration, but so far Hinata hadn't touched her shrimp ramen, too engrossed with Naruto's story.

"That's just….barbaric!" Hinata said after a moment, her face twisted into a scowl.

"He has to know how badly Haruno and the Uchiha get along with you, and his test sets you up to fail. What was he thinking!?" It took a not-inconsiderable effort of will to keep the smile off his face as he listened to Hinata rant. A part of him couldn't help but overlay the original Hinata, timid and meek to the point where simply speaking to strangers would maker he hyperventilate, over the maturing young woman in front of him. The last two years had finally seen some of the inner strength that Naruto had always known was there make it to the surface, and nobody could deny that Hinata was a better person for it. Though he doubted she'd ever be as loud as someone like, say, Kiba, Hinata had gotten to the point where she could finally acknowledge and express negative opinions about other people (especially if they did something to hurt Naruto, though Shino was rapidly becoming a close second), even if only to those she trusted. Her stutter had disappeared around everyone except for her father, and she even felt comfortable enough with Shino to train with him sometimes, even if Naruto wasn't around! All in all, he felt that Hinata was finally coming into her own as a person, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pride when he witnessed how far she'd come.

"I take it Yūhi-san didn't test your team then?" He asked, partially to head off her rant before someone else noticed and partially out of curiosity.

"No, she just had the three of us try to track her inside one of the forested training grounds." She replied, though her scowl failed to completely disappear.

"She said that, as we're supposed to be a tracking and scouting team, we should focus on that." Naruto frowned slightly as he thought about that.

"But with your Byakugan, not to mention Kiba's nose and Shino's bugs, shouldn't you be able to find her pretty easily? It's not as if the training grounds are miles across." He asked, gesturing at her silver eyes.

"She used **_kage bunshin_** at first to get some distance, and then did something that suppressed her chakra and made it really hard to find her. Shino said she also used something to suppress her scent, so we were starting from scratch." The scowl finally faded entirely, replaced by a small prideful smile.

"It took us almost the whole hour, but we were able to find the real Kurenai-sensei before the time ran out." She finally took a bite of her ramen, and seemed to realize how hungry she was all at once.

Naruto finished his own bowl, and motioned to Ayame for another, his fifth since they'd arrived. When Hitomi or Hizashi joined them they always scolded him for eating so much of the deliciously salty food, so he had to get his fill when they weren't around.

"Well I, for one, am glad that at least one of us has a normal sensei and team. We start missions tomorrow, and I can't wait to see what kind of thing they'll find that's "worthy" of the great Uchiha." Naruto stated, his voice turning sardonic. Hinata just smiled enigmatically, and no matter how he asked she wouldn't say why the idea of missions was so funny to her. He finally decided to let it go, but it bugged him for the rest of the day.

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Kakashi stood outside of the Hokage's office not long after noon, waiting for Hiruzen to acknowledge him and call him inside. After nearly two chapters (each of which pulled him even more deeply into the little orange book), a clipped "enter" caused him to pull open the door and step into the room.

"Ah, Kakashi, just the man I wanted to see" Hiruzen said, his jovial tone probably a product of the mysteriously absent piles of paperwork that normally adorned his desk. He gestured to the empty chair in front of the large desk, and Kakashi took a seat.

"So how did the test go?" Hiruzen asked, eagerness easily discernable in his voice.

"Well, they passed, if barely" Kakashi said, peering over his book at the elder ninja.

"Barely? I would have thought that Ruto and Sasuke could have pulled Sakura through almost anything suitable for their level. What test did you use?" Hiruzen asked, confused.

"The bell test" Kakashi answered, and Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock.

"…you used the bell test on a group where two of the team members irritate each other _at best_ , and at worst hate each other? Were you TRYING to fail them?" Hiruzen asked incredulously.

"No, I was trying to keep them alive. I know the problems Sasuke and Ruto have with each other, not to mention the friction between Ruto and Sakura, but if they can't put them aside for the mission they're better off spending a few months waiting for a more…..friendly team than die on a mission because they won't watch each other's backs." Kakashi retorted, his voice colder than he'd intended. Hiruzen sat back in his chair, fingertips touching as he considered Kakashi's point.

"You might be right, but the thought of holding back two with such talent seems….wasteful in some way." He mused, and Kakashi nodded slightly.

"The boy's getting faster" Kakashi said, shifting the subject away from what might have been and onto more familiar (and pleasant) territory.

"Oh?" Hiruzen said, his attention once more on the cyclopean shinobi. "You told me he was joining Guy and Lee on their exercises from time to time, an increase in speed is to be expected from that."

Kakashi shook his head, an amused smile on his face.

"That's what I thought at first, but I think it's more than that. His weights haven't increased in almost a year and a half, but he still moves like he's encumbered. He's also using more complex seals when we spar, and every few weeks he moves like he's put on more weight for a few days, but I never see more strapped to his ankles or wrists." Hiruzen looked at him appraisingly before taking a long pull on his pipe.

"You think he's using resistance seals" he stated. Kakashi nodded, and Hiruzen frowned slightly.

"Resistance seals are more advanced seals than most in Konoha can manage. Even some of the ANBU sealing units would have trouble applying them successfully, and you think he figured them out as an 11 year old?" At Kakashi's shrug, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed in thought.

"What else has he used against you?"

"Barrier seals, explosive tags, triggered storage seals, suppression seals…I think he tried to set up some sort of knockout seal once, but it didn't work. Electrocuted everything within about 20 yards.." Hiruzen nodded as he remembered the report. Naruto had been in the hospital for two days afterwards.

"Other than that I can't think of anything specific. If he's got more, I haven't seen them." Hiruzen paused a moment, then nodded.

"Keep me appraised. I don't know where he would have learned resistance seals, but that kind of expertise could be useful in the future." Kakashi could recognize a dismissal when he heard one, and stood up. As he made his way towards the door the Hokage called out to him.

"Oh, and Kakashi?" He paused at the door, turning his head.

"Tell him congratulations from me." Kakashi nodded, then walked out the door.

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Though he would never admit it out loud, Kakashi took a perverse pleasure in seeing the reaction of his team to their first missions. The academy taught students the basics of the shinobi arts and history, but like most history the more important and impressive battles were the focus of much of the curriculum. As such, the new genin came into their service with visions of glorious last stands, heroic victories, and tearful sacrifices. Cleaning up fallen fruit or painting a fence rarely resembled such lauded stories.

"This is such a waste of time" Kakashi heard Sasuke mutter under his breath as he picked up yet another rotten piece of fruit. Konoha was blessed with an extremely temperate climate, but one downside of the good weather was the excess of fruit that sometimes developed in poorly-traveled areas. If left unattended it could build up, and the stench of rotten fruit would hang over the village like a cloud. Along with catching Tora, cleaning up the fruit was one of the most commonly given D-rank missions in the village.

His attention shifted to Naruto standing almost fifteen yards away with his own bag and set of gloves, and he almost broke out laughing as he saw the redhead's fingers twitch together, stopping just short of the hand sign for the **_kage bunshin_** technique. When they'd started the mission he'd forbidden Naruto from using the jutsu, claiming it went against the principal of the mission and would unnecessarily drain his chakra resources, ignoring the fact that Naruto could maintain dozens of the clones without much of a drain on his massive reserves. The truth was that these exercises were supposed to be a bonding experience, a chance to shake down a team into a cohesive whole through shared drudgery.

" _Not likely"_ he snorted softly as he watched his three genin work. If it wasn't for the fact that they were all doing the same task, you would never be able to tell they were a team. There was no communication between Sasuke and Naruto, and barely any between Sasuke and Sakura (She was prattling away at him, but he could rarely be bothered with a response). Naruto went about his task mechanically, his face blank as he picked up another piece of fruit, and their areas didn't overlap, but each might as well have not existed for all the attention they paid the other boy. It had been that way from the first day, and in the resulting weeks he'd seen no evidence that the situation would change any time soon. After the bell test he'd been hopeful for some kind of bonding between the three, but it seemed that without some sort of threat hanging over their head a silent détente was the best he could ask for at the moment.

They finished up cleaning the assigned area in relative silence, although Kakashi enjoyed the thankful expressions on his team's faces when he declared the area clear, and headed back towards the missions office at a light run. As they reached the office the doors opened to let out a man with a graying hair and a goatee, along with a cloud of alcohol fumes so thick that Kakashi was momentarily worried that he might get drunk simply by proximity. He noticed Naruto's attention flick over to the man as they walked past, his nose wrinkling in distaste for a moment as the fumes hit him before he pulled his features back under control, and he was relieved when the man wandered off towards the tourist district of Konoha.

They passed through the double doors into the assignment office easily, just in time to see team 8 making their way towards the doors, a smug smile on the Inuzuka heir's face. Kakashi inclined his head slightly at Kurenai as he passed by the other jōnin, noting her slightly exasperated expression, and smiled at the small exchange he saw between Naruto and Hinata. It wasn't much, but it was better than the stone face the boy hid behind when he was working with his team. Sometimes it reminded him of working with Itachi.

Suppressing that unpleasant thought, he led his team up to the assignment/reporting desks and turned in the completed mission report.

"Another exhilarating cleanup trip?" The man behind the counter, a chūnin missing the last two fingers on his right hand, asked cheerily. Kakashi merely nodded, but Sasuke and Sakura's faces gained a touch more irritation. Naruto simply seemed very interested in the wall.

"Another for the day?" The man continued, ignoring the less than enthusiastic looks from the genin behind Kakashi.

"We've got fence painting, dog walking, clearing the alligators from the sewer- wait, that one's a low B-rank. Wrong pile." He threw the scroll behind him, not bothering to look as it neatly landed on top of a pile of similar scrolls in the B-ranked cabinet.

Seeing the faces of his team grow more and more despondent with each menial proposed task (with the exception of the alligator mission, obviously), Kakashi made a snap decision.

"I think we'll call it a day for now. It's not like they won't be here tomorrow." The last was said under his breath, but the chūnin apparently had sharper hearing than he thought, and chuckled in response.

"Too true. See you tomorrow then!" Kakashi led his team away from the desk, glad that his mask hid the slight blush from being caught in an unprofessional moment (at least an unprofessional moment he _didn't_ intend). Outside the building he turned to his team and adopted a cheery tone.

"Since your last mission was of the more…fragrant… variety, why don't you take the rest of the day off to clean up and relax." Proving that they were still young children, rank notwithstanding, three faces immediately broke into smiles before they disappeared fast enough to give Kakashi whiplash, as if fearing he would change his mind. Turning around with a shrug, the jōnin pulled out his ever-present orange book and strolled away from the mission office.

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While Sakura and Sasuke used their unexpected free time to relax and get rid of the sticky detritus of their most recent mission, Naruto headed towards his favorite training ground with a goal lodged firmly in the forefront of his mind. Abstractly he recognized that over the last few weeks he'd been falling back into the pattern of overworking himself that Itachi had spent so much effort breaking him out of, but honestly the missions bored him. And what he was doing was so much more interesting.

Naruto wanted to combine scroll sealing and combat.

The idea had come about from a simple observation. A small strip of paper could, with a minute burst of chakra, hold a wide range of different sizes of object in a sort of "stasis", without any effort beyond the initial sealing on the user's part. Even certain types of energy, such as the heat from a cooked bowl of ramen, were preserved in this state, leading to the question: Could you store _just_ the energy? If he could figure out how to seal energy into a scroll, he could prepare a set of combat scrolls with attacks that would normally leave him exhausted, but would be usable for little to no effort once charged.

So far his efforts had been lackluster, but he felt part of that was just the amount of time taken up by his new team. With the extra hours he had free today, plus the help of a few dozen _kage bunshin_ , he was sure he could figure out at least a workable theory, if not a workable model, before dinner time.

When his three favorite Hyuuga walked into the clearing some hours later, they found the redhead looking a little worse for the wear. His clothing was singed in multiple places, although there were no signs of burns on his skin (with his healing factor, though, that wasn't saying much), and evidence of large amounts of fire was scattered everywhere. In addition to the scorched patches of earth they could see shreds of paper littering the clearing, and when Naruto weakly waved a hand in greeting his fingers were covered in ink.

"Ruto, what happened to you!?" Hitomi's concerned voice caused the boy to pull himself into a sitting position, wincing the whole way.

"I overestimated my own cleverness" He said, then stared a moment at a particularly large patch of burned grass and dirt.

"repeatedly" he added. It was a measure of Hizashi's acclimation to Naruto's sometimes overzealous experimentation that his only break from the normal stoic Hyuuga face was a small snort.

"We can see that. If it would not cut too much into your…experimenting, would you like to get dinner with us?" He asked, and Naruto looked down at his wrecked clothing.

"If you could give me a few minutes to run back to my apartment and clean up, then sure." Hitomi smiled wryly at his somewhat bedraggled state, and told him to meet them outside of a restaurant on the west side of the village that he'd (surprise, surprise) never heard of before. When he asked what kind of place it was, and how he should dress, she just said it served cinnamon buns and that was all she knew. Grumbling about her penchant for culinary exploration, Naruto ran off to change.

The restaurant turned out to be a very laid back café serving a mix of sandwiches and pastries, but Naruto quickly forgot about the food as Hinata told him the details of her next mission.

"You're leaving the village!?" His voice raised slightly in surprise, though not enough to alarm the other villagers.

Hinata flushed slightly at his tone, and nodded.

"Yes, for an escort mission to Nami no Kuni. Kurenai-sensei says we should be gone no longer than a week, and the worst that could happen should be bandits." Naruto's expression darkened slightly as he noted the worst "should" be bandits, not "could". There was no certainty when you left the village walls, and the idea of Hinata running into something worse than bandits on a mission when he was so far away was troubling. He pushed down memories of the last time she'd almost left the village, kidnapped by a Kumo thug, and put on a small smile.

"Congratulations Hinata. I'm sure you'll do great and be back here before you know it." If anyone noticed the slight hitch in his tone they chose not to comment on it.

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Despite knowing that the meeting time was set for 7am, Hinata was up and ready for her first C-rank mission before 5. She spent the better part of an hour checking and rechecking her gear, ensuring everything was in place and that her kunai and shuriken were sharpened and free of rust, and generally doing anything she could think of to try and offset her anxiety about the upcoming mission. At just after 6 she could no longer handle the thought of sitting in her room for even another minute, and left the Hyuuga compound to wait by the front gates, figuring that it was better than fretting herself into a panic attack before the day even started.

The gates were closed at this early hour, but a quick check with her byakugan active showed that the guard station on the other side was manned as always, and she took a seat at one of the benches near the front gates as she waited. As the sun began to peek over the horizon she was somewhat surprised to see another figure walking towards her in the early morning light, which resolved itself into Shino's familiar form after a few seconds.

"You arrived quite early. Did you receive adequate sleep?" He asked quietly as he came to a stop in front of Hinata, and she automatically parsed his overly formal speech into more understandable prose.

"I slept fine, thank you. I was just a little…eager to start the day." Shino's only response was a silent nod, and they settled into a companionable silence to wait for their teammates and clients.

Kurenai arrived less than half an hour later, pausing only a moment to complement them for being prepared early, but as they came closer and closer to the meeting time Hinata became more and more worried about Kiba's absence. Finally, just as 7 o'clock rolled around the Inuzuka rushed to the gate, clothes rumpled and the remains of a hasty breakfast still clutched in one hand. A glare from his sensei caused a blushing Kiba to mumble out an apology, but as their client was not present she wasn't too hard on him.

Forty minutes later Hinata was beginning to wonder if they were going to have to add search and retrieval to the mission statement when their client stumbled up the roadway leading to the village gates, disheveled and reeking of alcohol strongly enough to make Hinata's eyes water.

"Well what're ya waitin for, les go!" He slurred at them, though he was surprisingly stable for the amount of alcohol they suspected he'd imbibed to leave him in this state.

"The meeting time was almost 45 minutes ago Tazuna-san" Kurenai rebuked, her voice cold. Courtesy to the client was one thing, but even her patience had limits. Tazuna opened his mouth to retort, but caught sight of Kurenai's hand lightly brushing over her shuriken pouch, and wisely decided that antagonizing the people who killed for a living was a bad idea, and settled for an insincere apology. Kurenai merely raised an eyebrow before nodding at the older man, and they turned to leave the village at a civilian pace.

Kurenai had made sure to train her team in several basic bodyguard formations, all designed to leverage their unique strengths and cover each other's weaknesses, but Hinata quickly learned that there was a distinct difference between a simulation lasting an hour at most and trying to maintain a suitable level of vigilance for hours on end. From what she could tell, Shino was the only one of the three genin that was still adamantly searching their surroundings after the first few hours, but with his normal stoicism and the dark glasses covering his eyes it was hard to tell the difference between rapt attention and bored indifference. Kiba was barely holding any semblance of vigil at all, spending more time kicking rocks on the road than watching the forest around them, and Hinata had figured out very early on that even sporadic use of her byakugan was not truly feasible at her chakra levels. Part of the problem was that, comparative to the average ninja, civilians were _slow_. A ninja team in good shape could make the trip to wave in under a day, but from what Kurenai had said it would take nearly four times as long for them to escort Tazuna to Nami no Kuni, and that was at what he considered a good clip. Activating her byakugan cost chakra, and if she tried to use it to watch all day she'd quickly become depleted.

Kurenai called a formation change just after noon, her position in the diamond formation from a rear guard to forward guard, and allowed them to spread out slightly in a more relaxed manner. They had seen no signs of the possible bandits over the last few hours, and Hinata was glad for the more relaxed atmosphere. She watched as Kurenai side stepped a large puddle, and allowed herself to wonder what Nami no Kuni would be like.

" _It's supposed to be much wetter than Konoha, and with the rainfall they probably have to skip around puddles like that all the time. It might be nice to get to a cooler climate for a few days, Konoha hasn't had any rainfall in nearly a week….."_ Her eyes widened in sudden fear as her head whipped to the puddle that Kurenai had just passed, but before she could call out to her sensei the puddle exploded upwards.

Time seemed to slow to a standstill as she watched the two figures materialize from the concealing jutsu that had formed the puddle, a length of barbed chain connecting their forearms. Before she could force herself to so much as twitch a muscle the chain was wrapped around her sensei, and each of the two ninja pulled in opposite directions. The chain sliced through Kurenai's body almost instantly, and she watched in horror as the pieces fell in a spray of water and dust.

In that instant the sensation of stopped time reversed, and everything seemed to happen too fast.

Instinct seemed to take over from the moment the two shinobi turned towards Tazuna, and before she could remember making a conscious decision she was in front of him in a Jyuuken stance, byakugan active. She saw Shino grab a kunai from the pouch strapped to his leg, but before he could do anything Kiba acted.

"You bastards!" he shouted as he charged forward, neglecting in his anger to activate his _Shikyaku no Jutsu_. As the rear guard in the formation Hinata was too far away to stop him, even if she abandoned Tazuna to the attackers, and could only watch as one of the two lifted a leg and kicked Kiba in the chest, sending him to the ground on his back. The second shinobi raised his gauntlet covered hand, fingers speared and ready to impale the dazed Inuzuka, but his hand was intercepted by Shino's arm. As he'd blocked the attack almost as soon as it began there wasn't enough force to cause more than a few deep scratches, and the momentary reprieve gave Kiba time to scoot away from the two enemies and pull himself to his feet.

"You're only delaying the inevitable brat." The man Shino had blocked taunted, but Shino merely stared impassively, his arm still in contact with the claw.

"You should pay more attention to your opponents." He said, just as his arm seemed to expand beneath his coat and disgorged a large number of his kikaichū directly onto his opponent's arm. The other shinobi reeled back with a surprised cry, and Shino took the opportunity to leap backwards out of range of the large gauntlet.

Hinata watched as the large cloud of insects began to cover the man despite his repeated attempts to swipe them off, and then began to engulf the chain holding the two gauntlets together. Seeing his partner's fate approaching him as well, the second attacker hit a button on the gauntlet that disengaged the chain, and turned to Shino.

"You'll pay for that, boy. I'm going to rip your intestines out and feed them to you!" He charged towards Shino who fell back in a defensive stance, only to freeze several feet from the tense Aburame.

Hinata stared as the man's eyes began to rapidly move back and forth, and had to hold in a shriek of surprise when he began to whimper.

 **"** **Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu"**

The familiar voice hummed with power and Hinata focused on the copse of trees it had originated from. Her eyes widened as the familiar form of her teacher walked calmly out of the underbrush, no sign of the deadly wounds that she'd seen only moments before. Hinata's gaze quickly swept to the "body" she'd seen, and found the chopped up log in its place.

" _I must have been so shocked that I never noticed her_ _ **kawarimi**_ " She mused.

"Shino, is he still alive?" Kurenai asked, pointed to the kikaichū covered body on the ground.

"Hai sensei. He is simply unconscious from chakra loss." Shino answered in his typical unaffected tone, but Hinata thought she could detect a slight waver at the sight of his sensei coming back from the grave.

"Good, then we can question them both." She said as she walked up behind the still-whimpering form of the second attacker and swiftly struck him in the side of the head with the back of a kunai, knocking him unconscious before turning to Shino.

"We should take a look at that, the Demon Brothers have a reputation for using poison." She said in a no-nonsense manner, pointing to the deep scrapes on Shino's arm.

"Not necessary Sensei. My kikaichū are already purging the toxins from my system, and will be finished shortly." Hinata's byakugan-enhanced eyesight caught several small insects falling from Shino's arm, along with the fact that they were deathly still as they hit the ground. Kurenai must have caught the minute bodies as well, and she stared at Shino for a moment before nodding sharply.

"Let me know if you feel any adverse effects." She turned to Hinata.

"Good job Hinata, protecting the client is vital on an escort mission. I'm glad your training served you well." Finally she turned to Kiba, and her face was impassive.

"We'll talk later Kiba." He huffed in irritation, but didn't comment as she picked up the man she'd knocked out and grabbed the collar of the one Shiba's insects had drained.

"I'm going to go have a little "chat" with our friends. Keep an eye on Tazuna-san while I'm away, please." After receiving nods from all three of her genin she pulled her prisoners into the woods, and Hinata studiously avoided concentrating on what was going on during their "chat". She knew that shinobi sometimes had to interrogate enemy prisoners, and that such interrogations often involved forms of turture, but it was something she just wasn't ready to deal with at the moment, not after thinking she'd seen her teacher ripped to pieces.

It was almost 15 minutes later that Kurenai stalked back up to the road, and immediately made a beeline for Tazuna. No mention was made of the missing Demon Brothers.

"I'm going to ask you one question, and if your answer doesn't satisfy me my team and I are terminating the contract and going back to Konoha." Tazuna's face, already pale with fear after the sudden attack, was now absolutely drained of blood.

"Why were the Demon Brothers after you Tazuna-san?" The honorific was added in a cutting tone, and Tazuna flinched slightly at her cold expression. He hesitated a moment, but a minute narrowing of Kurenai's eyes seemed to push him into speaking.

"It's Gato." He said, his tone low and defeated.

"The shipping magnate?" Kurenai asked, confusion momentarily overcoming anger.

"He came to our country two years ago, and in that time he's taken over everything. Anyone who tries to stand against him is killed, people are extorted until they starve, and he controls all the water traffic around Nami no Kuni." Tazuna looked up, and Hinata could see a spark of anger in the alcohol-befuddled gaze.

"I'm almost done with a bridge between the islands and the mainland, and Gato wants me dead to stop it. The bridge would break his monopoly on the water traffic, and give new life to Nami." He tuned his face to look Kurenai in the eyes.

"I won't ask you to forgive me for lying, but please! Don't abandon my people. If we can just finish the bridge and break Gato's deadlock we can save my country." Hinata looked down for a moment, then over at Shino and Kiba. Shino was silent as ever, but gave a minute nod after a moment, followed by a wide smile from Kiba. Finally she turned to Kurenai, and her eyes met the older woman's crimson gaze.

Kurenai stared at her for a moment, then sighed and switched her attention to Tazuna.

"Those were chūnin-rank missing-nin from Kiri. That makes this mission solidly B-rank, and you WILL pay as such." At Tazuna's slightly panicked expression at the thought of paying for a B-rank mission, Kurenai relented slightly.

"We can work something out after we get to Nami" she said, noting Tazuna's sigh of relief as he nodded.

They formed their patrol diamond again after a short break, Kurenai in front and Hinata bringing up the rear, but this time Hinata was much more proactive in using her byakugan to scout ahead. By her reckoning, it was better to be tired than dead from another ambush. Her reasoning was proved valid less than thirty minutes later as her scouting revealed two people standing halfway up the side of a tree just off the road, one in a Kiri hunter-nin mask and the other carrying an outlandishly oversized sword.

She subtly motioned to Kurenai, and waited as her sensei moved back to speak with her.

"What is it Hinata?" She asked in a low whisper, keeping her eyes on the road ahead.

"There are two people ahead of us sensei, one in a hunter-nin mask and another with a-" Her report was cut off as she saw the man heft the oversized blade with one hand as if it weighed nothing, and then whip his arm forward.

"GET DOWN!" She yelled, immediately following her own advice when she saw Kurenai grab Tazuna and force him down on the road. She was glad to see their teamwork training had paid off, as both Shino and Kiba dropped without hesitation.

Her warning came none too soon as all five of the travelers were barely missed by the edge of a giant spinning sword, the end of which embedded itself into a nearby tree after passing over them. Hinata had a moment of confusion as she lost sight of the man who'd thrown the large weapon, but quickly whipped her head towards the sword as he appeared on its handle in a swirl of water.

"Not bad, I was sure I'd get at least one or two of you with that. You even saved the old man" His voice was deep and gravelly, only slightly distorted by the cloth covering his mouth. Hinata quickly pulled herself to her feet, and out of the corner of her eyes noticed Kurenai's eyes widen momentarily before settling into a focused expression.

"Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mists. I can't say I was expecting you." Her voice was conversational, but her eyes never left the other shinobi.

"They never do" Zabuza chuckled darkly, and then cocked his head slightly. "I apologize for not knowing your name, let me offer you a deal as penance. Hand over the old man, and you and your team can leave."

Kurenai's eyes narrowed slightly as her genin moved into a defensive formation around Tazuna.

"You know I can't do that Zabuza. Our mission is to escort him to Nami, I don't even want to think about what the Hokage would do to me if I abandoned a client." The last was said with a slight smile that disappeared as soon as Zabuzu brought a hand up in a half-sign in front of him.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'll be sure to make this quick, it's the least I can do to repay your professionalism." His voice carried dark promise in it as mist began to overlay the area, and Kurenai swore softly as the shroud obscured Zabuza from sight.

" ** _Heart, throat, lungs, kidneys…..so many targets to choose from"_** The chilling voice seemed to come from all directions as all four Konoha Shinobi fell into a defensive position around their client. Hinata was trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart as she used her byakugan to search for Zabuza in the mist, thankful that the chakra-laced cover only slightly distorted her enhanced vision.

It took her only moments to find Zabuza's form circling their defensive line, and before she could call out a warning to the others the missing-nin arrowed in on Tazuna. His form seemed to congeal out of the mist right next to the bridge builder, his exultant cry alerting the others as his blade descended towards his target.

Before the blade could connect with Tazuna's head, Zabuza suddenly shifted course and jumped backwards. His baleful gaze pinned Hinata, still in her Jyuuken stance after her failed attack on Zabuza, with a combination of anger and surprise.

"How did you see.." His question halted as he caught her eyes, and he shook his head in an annoyed manner.

"A Hyuuga, of course." Faster than Hinata could counter he darted to her right side, sword extended to cut her down. She barely had time to make a frantic hand sign before the blade connected; relief nearly making her knees give out as the familiar pull of a _kawarimi_ came just ahead of certain death. Even with her fear-enhanced speed she could feel a small cut on her shoulder, and the small trickle of blood beginning to well up.

Even as Hinata was acting to save herself Kurenai was focusing on Zabuza. As he completed his attack on Hinata she took the initiative, using a _shunshin_ to get behind the larger man and bringing her kunai down at the juncture of his neck and collarbone. The blade sank deeply into his neck, but instead of blood a large geyser of water erupted from the wound. Her surprise was doubled when, barely a moment later, she felt a presence behind her and turned to see another Zabuza, sword already on its way down.

Zabuza's satisfied smile quickly turned into a confused frown as Kurenai's body, rather than separate into two bloody halves, exploded into a cloud of flower petals. The scent they gave off seemed to seep into his mind, slowing his thoughts and making him dizzy.

" _Genjutsu….I HATE genjutsu"_ He grimaced as he leapt backward to fend off any unseen assaults and, with a loud "KAI!", temporarily stopped his flow of chakra. There was a shattering sensation as the scent of the flower petals disappeared, just in time for him to intercept the half-dozen shuriken speeding towards his face.

"Not a bad combination. Too bad you won't live long enough to perfect it." He called out, searching for his missing prey.

" _Where are they? I_ _ **felt**_ _that genjutsu break, they couldn't have hidden in the few moments I was influenced-"_ His musing was cut off as he sensed movement behind him, and he ducked just as a kunai slashed through the space occupied by his head only moments before. He turned quickly to face his attacker and had a moment of shock as he saw Kurenai, half her body fused with a large tree that had somehow grown out of the middle of the road. Seeing her attack fail, Kurenai quickly pulled back into the tree until her whole body was covered, and the tree promptly disappeared in another burst of flower petals.

" _Either she's layering them or reapplying them faster than I can break them. All right, let's see how she deals with_ _ **this**_ " Zabuza immediately leapt toward the nearby river, his hands furiously working as he formed sign after sign. His eyes worked constantly as he looked for any hint of attack from the unseen enemies, and betrayed a hint of nervousness as he completed the last sign and intoned the jutsu name.

" **Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"**

Immediately the water bucked upwards, as if offset by a large beast underneath, and formed into the long sinuous shape of a dragon, two glowing red eyes the only deviation from its clear liquid body. It paused for a second as its neck arched, and then sprang into action at Zabuza's mental command.

Zabuza couldn't see any of his enemies but, if his instincts were right, they would still be close by. In order to break the layered genjutsu that had resisted his first attempt he went the other route: brute force. The dragon's body quickly curled around the missin-nin's body, before uncoiling like a giant whip and impacting on the surrounding area. For a moment he feared that his efforts had been for naught, and that he would have to find another way to deal with an invisible enemy, but the familiar feeling of something shattering shivered through him and he saw his absent prey suddenly blink back into focus. A victorious smile grew under his mask, and he allowed himself a second to bask in his accomplishment.

"Like I said, not bad, but it's not enough to take me down for long" He called out as he created another three mizu bunshin from the river next to him. It was only after the third one formed that he noticed the abnormally large amount of fatigue the simple jutsu seemed to cause. His moment of confusion was not unnoticed by Kurenai.

"I didn't think it would be. That's why I had a backup plan" She called out while staring at his chest. Zabuza quickly followed her gaze and immediately recoiled in horror at what he saw. Instead of a bare chest crossed by his Kubikiribōchō strap, his entire torso was engulfed in a living, writhing mass of insects. Freed from the genjutsu that had clouded his mind he could finally feel them eating away at his dangerously low chakra reserves, leaving him feeling incredibly weak. A quick suiton jutsu scoured his body clean of the insects, but as he faced the four Konoha shinobi he could feel his precarious position. With almost no chakra in his system and a skilled genjutsu specialist against him….

Kurenai watched as Zabuza finally realized the precarious nature of his position, quickly positioning himself against a tree while he kept all four enemies in sight. His mizu bunshin had fallen apart as his chakra levels dipped below what was required to sustain them, and she prepared herself for the final blow. Despite his weakened state she was wary of the famous missing-nin, and instead chose to try a more indirect approach.

"Shino." The Aburame turned to her and she caught his shaded gaze.

"Drain him dry" Nodding at her order, he held his arms out to the sides. Zabuza's eyes widened in fear as two large clouds of insects emerged from the open sleeves, arrowing towards him through the air.

Before they could reach their target, however, several needles flew out and sank into Zabuza's neck, causing him to slump forward. Shino's swarms paused for a second, then retreated back into his sleeves as a shinobi dressed in Kiri hunter-nin garb appeared next to Zabuza.

"Thank you for taking care of him for me, Konoha-san. I've been hunting him for months." The voice was androgynous, but sounded as she was about to respond, Hinata came to a stop by her side, byakugan blazing with her body crouched in a Jyuuken stance.

"She was with him before he attacked us Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata's statement immediately sent Kurenai on high alert, and Shino's swarms once again closed in towards Zabuza's prone form. Before they could take any action, however, the hunter-nin made a single hand sign and disappeared in a swirl of water, taking Zabuza's body with her.

"She helped him get away!" Kiba yelled. "We need to go after her."

"There's no point" Kurenai shook her head. "That hunter-nin shunshinned far enough to make it difficult to track, and I'm almost out of chakra from the _Kagami no Sekai_ I used to hide us." She gave Kiba a long look.

"Knowing when _not_ to fight is just as important as knowing _how_ to fight, Kiba." Kiba looked down after a moment, but didn't argue. Kurenai spared him one last look before turning to the rest of her team.

"Alright! Our mission is still to get Tazuna-san home, and I need to send a message to the Hokage. We'll take a ten minute break, and then get back on the move." The three genin took the opportunity to down some food and water, hungry from the adrenaline rush of the two battles, and Tazuna took a moment to try and get his shaking legs back in order. While the others were enjoying their short break, Kurenai took a specially marked scroll from a pocket and began to write.

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 _Multiple contacts including two chūnin and one jōnin-level missing-nin. Requesting backup, preferably at least one more full team to augment. Continuing on mission._

Hiruzen looked at Kurenai's letter for a moment before letting out a frustrated breath.

" _Why can't they see that lying about mission difficulty can get everyone involved_ _killed_ _!?"_ He though angrily as he thought about a team comprised mostly of genin running across such dangerous foes, and considered his options for backup. The village was doing very well economically at the moment, but the excess of offered missions meant he had a relative dearth of teams to send as assistance. Almost all the remaining teams were jōnin-lead genin teams, and the average genin wouldn't be very useful in this.

" _Average…."_ He mused, and then pressed a button on his desk that summoned his secretary.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" His secretary asked as the door opened a moment later.

"Get Hatake Kakashi and his team in here ASAP"


	8. Chapter 7: A 'Noble' Profession

**A/N: I'm not dead yet! Sorry for the long delay in posting, as a few of you know I've been studying like mad for the USMLE Step 1 and it's taken over my life for the moment. I have not, however, abandoned TLTU, nor do I have any plans of doing so. Thank you to everyone who has helped me get this posted, especially Winona Lighteyes for being kind enough to read through the rough draft and point out my terrible mistakes.**

 **Venu3374**

 **P.S.: To the person who keeps posting reviews that are variants of "** Sakura would beat the crap out of Hinatits. Besides, Hinatits is the canon fangirl, not Sakura and Ino. You really need to learn how to read, virgin fucktard." **and** "Sakura would beat the shit out of useless Hinatits. Go kill yourself, pathetic loser" **, your concern for my love life and reading skills is noted and appreciated. I am, however, worried for your mental state if you continue reading things that obviously bring you great amounts of anger, and urge you to either stop reading things that you dislike or get some counseling. I would suggest cuddling a puppy but I wouldn't want to inflict your diatribe on a defenseless puppy.**

 **Chapter 7: A 'Noble' Profession**

It was less than 20 minutes after his missive was sent out that Hiruzen's secretary ushered Team 7 into his office, and by that time he'd already drafted the mission orders and had the papers necessary to enter Nami no Kuni on official shinobi business sitting on his desk. His demeanor was all business as the three genin trailed in after Kakashi, but even the troubling turn Team 8's mission had taken wasn't enough to prevent the internal sigh of regret at the lack of response as Naruto met his gaze. He'd not spoken to the boy in almost two years, by Naruto's choice, and the slight furrowing of his brow and thinned lips clearly stated that he was still unhappy with the Hokage. The nearly imperceptible hesitation as Hiruzen stared at Naruto ended after a moment, but it was enough for three of the people in the room to notice the undercurrent of tension between the them. Hiruzen discreetly took a deep breath, and turned to Kakashi as he picked up the mission scroll.

"Kakashi, your team is being assigned a backup mission into Nami no Kuni." He began, and noticed Naruto immediately stiffen as he mentioned Nami. "Team 8 has encountered unexpected resistance on their escort mission, and has requested additional hands to ensure its success."

The reactions of team 7 to their new assignment were varied. Sakura was doing a passable imitation of an excited puppy, quivering in excitement over her first "real" mission, while Sasuke merely looked relieved that they were not being sent on another inane d-rank. What drew Hiruzen's attention most, however, was the sudden panic-tinged focus that Naruto displayed. While his teammates were treating the assignment as a welcome change, he looked as if it was only the barest margins of his self-control that kept him from bolting out of the office at once.

His team's reaction was not lost on Kakashi, his worried eye focusing on his young protege as Hiruzen handed him the mission packet, but he suppressed his worry into a neutral tone as he told the three to get their gear ready for an extended mission. A subtle signal from the Hokage held the Jonin back as his team filed out.

"I didn't realize Ruto was so close to Team 8." Hiruzen commented after the door closed.

"He and the Hinata are extremely close, with Shino next on the list amongst those his age." Kakashi's features maintained their stoic mask as he spoke, but Hiruzen could hear the worry lacing his voice. Naruto had very few ties to the village, and the Hokage worried that losing his two age mates could push him into isolation again, possibly even triggering another flight into the forest.

"Then for all our sakes I suggest you make best speed to Nami. Kurenai's scroll mentioned a jōnin-level missing ninja and the only one known to operate in that area is Zabuza. The fact that he had two chūnin with him suggests organizational backing and anyone with that kind of money won't skimp on manpower." Hiruzen took a long draw on his pipe before looking back at Kakashi.

"This is a rapidly changing scenario Kakashi. I know Ruto has a habit of holding back to keep attention from himself but you need to impress the level of danger he's facing on him. I don't want his need for anonymity to send him home in a body bag." Kakashi nodded sharply before turning around and exiting the office.

Outside the Hokage's office Kakashi gave orders for his team to outfit for a medium-duration mission but told Naruto to stay behind as the other two ran off.

"What is it?" Kakashi could hear the impatience in Naruto's normally controlled voice.

"There's a possibility we could run into a jōnin in the area named Zabuza, and if we do he's going to be the focus of all my attention. We'll have the support of Kurenai's team but next to me you have the most combat potential." Kakashi paused for a moment to make sure he had Naruto's undivided attention before continuing.

"If Zabuza comes with backup it will be your responsibility to deal with them, and I don't want you holding back." Naruto's eyes widened at the unspoken message but before he could argue Kakashi cut him off. "I know the reasons behind keeping your abilities secret but nothing, and I mean _nothing_ comes before your comrades and the mission. If protecting them means blowing your cover to shreds….do it." Naruto stared at Kakashi for several moments before nodding and moving away. The last thing Kakashi saw before he disappeared onto the rooftops was his clenched fist surrounded by a semi-transparent chain.

The two days it took Kurenai's team to reach Nami after Zabuza's attack were some of the longest of Hinata's life. They'd increased the pace considerably after a brief rest to recover from the fight which allowed them to make the journey almost a day shorter but all 3 genin were extremely nervous, jumping at shadows and watching everything around them with an air of apprehension. Hinata had taken to using her Byakugan to the utmost limit of her abilities figuring an early warning was worth more than a little extra stamina in this case, and the extra draw on her reserves had her feeling perpetually tired. She had looked forward to reaching Tazuna's home and getting some uninterrupted sleep for a change, but her first view of the town stopped her in her tracks.

Despair. That was the only word that seemed to fit the scene in front of her as they reached the outskirts of the town. The structures themselves were sturdy, constructed from stone and dark wood sealed against the mists so common to the island nation, but that was the only sign of pride or prosperity visible. The few people she could see wore drab, tattered clothing and nobody bothered to even glance at the group as they walked down the main road. There were no children in sight, and everywhere she looked Hinata saw signs of starvation.

"What happened here…" She whispered.

"Gato." Apparently her voice hadn't been too quiet for Tazuna to hear. She looked over to him but he wasn't staring at her, rather at the town around them. There was a number of emotions Hinata couldn't read in his eyes, but his posture was stiff and his face stony. Out of the corner of her eye Hinata saw the rest of the team pause.

"He choked all trade through Nami, forces us to pay protection money and enforces embargoes on food and medicine. He's starving Nami a little bit at a time." His gaze became determined as he glanced around. "That's why the bridge is so important. If we can break his stranglehold we can breathe life back into Nami."

Tazuna didn't say anything more as he started forward again, and the rest of Team 8 fell in step around him. It didn't take long for them to reach Tazuna's home at the outskirts of the small village, a modest two-story affair Hinata wouldn't have given a second glance at back in Konoha but that seemed a palace after seeing the squalor so many of Nami's residents lived in. When Tazuna opened the door they were greeted by a young woman with long dark hair and a nervous expression on her face. When she saw Tazuna her eyes lit up while she breathed a sigh of relief and the five of them were quickly ushered inside while the woman locked the door behind them immediately. The woman, who Tazuna introduced as his daughter Tsunami, set about getting the four shinobi settled and in short order they were seated in the living room while they discussed their plans for the next several days.

"The reinforcements from Konoha should be here in the next 2-3 days, but until then we need to set up a schedule for protecting Tazuna-san and the bridge as well as his family here." Kurenai said as she pulled a piece of paper out of her travel pack and began to write on it. "Hinata, you and Shino will be on one rotation while Kiba and I take the other. One pair will guard the bridge while the other is stationed at the house to guard Tazuna's family. The groups will switch every day and I'll be leaving a clone with Hinata's group in order to have a quick line of communication should anything happen." The paper she'd pulled out now held a guard rotation for the next week.

"What about Zabuza?" Kiba asked.

"Recovering from that level of chakra exhaustion and the aftereffects of the senbon his companion used will take even someone like Zabuza at least eight to ten days. We can't discount the possibility of their being other forces in the area, but the chances of another enemy of his caliber being around are very slim. If any more missing-nin show up you should be capable of holding out long enough for me to get there and take over." Kurenai looked at each of her genin in turn before speaking again. "From what Tazuna and Tsunami have said Gato has a mercenary force in the area that has been making a lot of trouble for the locals. You're each skilled enough that a few mercenaries shouldn't give you any trouble but I don't want anyone going out alone at any time." She threw Hinata a meaningful look. "These thugs are like jackals, they'll pick you off if they can. And they don't treat their victims well." Her gaze remained on Hinata for several moments before looking back up. "The first shift starts tomorrow with Kiba and I at the bridge. Get some sleep." Kurenai stood and stretched before heading for the stairs leading to the rooms they'd been given. Behind her Shino and Kiba headed towards the room they were sharing while Hinata followed her into the girl's room and took off her pack silently. The combination of constant byakugan use and the state of the town they'd seen were weighing on the girl and Kurenai could see the bags beginning to form under her eyes. As they turned out the lights Kurenai listened to Hinata's breathing, and only when it slowed into the steady rhythms of sleep did she allow herself to drift off

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It probably said something unpleasant about Zabuza's life up to this point that waking up to angry yelling was not only unsurprising, but inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

"You extorted a king's ransom from me and the first time another ninja shows up you get your asses handed to you, and you expect _me_ to treat you with respect!?" Even without his highly trained senses Zabuza could have identified Gato's high-pitched voice anywhere. It had a nasally undertone that turned everything he said in that high-pitched voice into a condescending sneer, and Zabuza frequently had to suppress the urge to fillet the smaller man just to get him to shut up.

"I told you when you hired us that we would be effective against other missing ninjas, not a coordinated team from one of the major villages." At the sound of Zabuza's bored voice Haku immediately bustled over and thrust a steaming bowl of broth before him, which he was just barely able to grasp without allowing the exhausted tremor in his arms to surface. "If wanted protection against a formal team you'll need more than just Haku and I, especially considering they've probably sent for reinforcements at this point." At no point during his impromptu speech had Zabuza bothered to look at his employer, who he could practically feel seething from his position several feet away. The other man's fists clenched tightly as he glared at Zabuza, but a minute movement from Haku had him immediately taking an involuntary step back.

"Well then what do you suggest we do?" Condescension practically dripped from Gato's every word, and Haku threw him a look Zabuza could only tell was disgust due to his long association with the younger ninja.

"When you're outnumbered, there are only three options: Run away, set a trap, or get reinforcements." He glanced at Gato, grateful that his bandages mostly covered the disdainful look on his face. "I expect you might object to running away, and setting a trap against a guarding force is difficult, even if you don't take the Hyuuga into account." He allowed a small smile to form underneath his coverings. "Looks like you need to shell out for some reinforcements."

If looks could kill (on non-shinobi, with the breadth of strange things out there a technique for that could very well exist) Zabuza would be a smoking crater, but Gato nodded and moved off.

"You think he'll actually hire anybody worth associating with?" Haku asked in a low voice, her irritation with the short man obvious.

"Gato might be a cheap son of a bitch, but he doesn't skimp when it comes to his own hide. Whether they'll be good enough to stand up to the reinforcements is the question." Zabuza replied as he laid back on his pillows heavily. His body still felt weak and sluggish after the combined chakra exhaustion and the near-death state Haku had put him in. "Make sure our escape route is clear. If Konoha sends more than we can handle we'll need a way out, and quickly." Haku nodded and silently slipped out the door as he closed his eyes and drifted back into sleep.

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It was around the same time that Kakashi caught Naruto drifting out of formation in his urgent haste to get to Nami that the saying 'be careful what you wish for' really began to sink home. Ever since his team had first come together he'd harbored a (somewhat unrealistic) hope that they could forge some semblance of a working relationship and had urged Naruto to open up a little. Despite his efforts the divide between Naruto and his teammates widened seemingly with each passing day, and there was little Kakashi could think to do to draw some emotion out of his sensei's son. The debt he felt to Naruto, not only for who his father was but also for his utter failure to treat the boy well when he was younger, combined with what he owed Obito had him looking for a way to get the two boys to find some common ground, but he'd almost given up until the call for backup had come through. Although Naruto had outwardly shown little emotion, his actions fairly shouted his impatience to get to Nami.

"You need to slow down Ruto." He had sidled up to the boy and pitched his tone low enough that only they could hear. "Sakura can't keep up with this pacing, and we won't be of any use if we show up to Nami carrying an exhausted genin." For a moment irritation broke through the normally blank expression on his face as Naruto glanced behind to see the pinkette sweating, already nearly a body length behind her assigned position. The look was gone almost the moment it appeared, and Naruto slowed until the formation evened out again with Kakashi in front, a boy at each wing, and Sakura bringing up the rear. They'd been running like that for the better part of a day now but would probably not make it to Nami no Kuni before tomorrow morning at the pace they were going. A caveat to working in a team, one that Naruto had not gotten used to yet, was that you had to take each member's strengths and weaknesses into account when planning any operation. Kakashi had used Sakura as a benchmark for their speed, but the truth was if their opponent was someone on the caliber of the Seven Swordsman showing up in Nami no Kuni exhausted would not only be foolish, it could very well be deadly.

He only had to put Naruto back into position once more before they stopped for the night, the younger boy suppressing his irritation at halting fairly well and offering to take the first watch. While the rest of the team set up their tents and sleeping bags the young redhead simply swarmed up the side of the nearest tree and sat in the junction of a branch nearly halfway up, his eyes and ears alert for predators or intruders. Raising an eyebrow slightly at his student's choice of sleeping location, Kakashi settled down into his sleeping bag and quickly fell into a light sleep. After all, if he could trust anyone to sit watch in a forest it would be the boy who had lived in them for several years.

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Team 8 was sitting in Tazuna's kitchen finishing off a breakfast thoughtfully provided by Tsunami when they heard knocking at the front door. Still tense after their encounter with Zabuza they immediately fell into wary stances before second set of knocks came, this time in a seemingly random pattern. Kurenai immediately recognized the pattern as a common ANBU passcode, and relaxed fractionally as she rose to open the door. At the sight of Kakashi's familiar masked face the majority of the tension left her body and she allowed the kunai she'd palmed behind her back slip back into its holster.

"You made better time than I thought." She said, eliciting a small chuckle from the other jonin.

"We were motivated." A nearly imperceptible jerk of his head had Kurenai looking at the youngsters behind him to see a familiar red-haired boy doing a fairly miserable job of hiding his impatience. Suddenly wishing she had a mask like Kakashi to hide her smile, Kurenai moved aside to allow team 7 access to Tazuna's house while giving an all-clear to her own team hidden around the room. Tsunami watched curiously as they filed past, frowning slightly as she caught sight of Kakashi's gravity-defying hair, but one day was not enough to dampen her skepticism at the thought that such young children could be ninja. Kurenai just hoped she could keep her mothering tendencies to a minimum, from what she remembered neither Ruto nor Sasuke took particularly well to people hovering.

"Anything happen since your last missive?" Kakashi asked as soon as the door closed behind them, eyebrows raising when she shook her head. "Letting a ninja team camp out in your backyard isn't normally a good idea. You think the team you encountered was the only one?" he asked as he watched the two team's genin mingle. While Sasuke was his normal standoffish self, Naruto, Hinata, and Shino were already deep in conversation while Kiba was trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to talk to Sakura.

"Ninja of Zabuza's skill level aren't cheap, and nobody but another ninja really stands a chance against someone like him. There probably wasn't a need for another team before now." Kurenai replied before frowning. "Whether or not he pulls in more talent is the question now. I don't think there're more Swordsman waiting to appear, but there's no shortage of chunin-level missing nin around Kiri. We might have trouble depending on how much Gato decides to spend." Kakashi nodded and Kurenai thought his expression darkened, but it was difficult to tell with most of his face covered. Since Tazuna wasn't up yet (he had a habit of binge-drinking at night and sleeping until nearly noon) the two jonin spent the next few hours setting up a training and watch rotation, the end result of which had Tazuna walking downstairs only to stare out his front window as team 8 used a kunai to play catch with team 7, both teams standing on the side of the trees in his yard the entire time.

"What….how…" His bloodshot eyes immediately dropped to the flask in his hand before bringing it up for a quick sniff. When nothing seemed off about the booze he looked back at the yard before his daughter came to stand beside him.

"They started doing that about an hour ago, nearly gave me a heart attack. Kakashi-san said they were going to learn how to walk on water next." Tazuna shot her a look of disbelief.

"It's unnatural." He murmured quietly as he watched the sharp instrument fly back and forth between children not much older than his grandson with apparent ease. "Hiding in puddles of water, commanding swarms of insects, walking on trees and water. How are normal folk supposed to stand against that?"

"You don't." Tazuna jumped as he heard Kurenai's voice coming from behind him. He turned to see the ruby-eyed woman drinking a glass of water before she put it down and looked back at him. "You hire ninja to fight ninja, that's our job. Just as nobody expects that I would have no idea how to build a bridge, neither are you expected to know how to fight a ninja." She placed the empty glass in the sink with a quiet thank you to Tsunami before heading out the front door and leaving a pensive Tazuna behind.

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"This place looks worse the second time through" Naruto said softly to Hinata as the two of them walked through what had obviously once been the main street of the town. With the increased manpower brought on by the arrival of Team 7 they were splitting duty: One pair to guard the bridge, one to guard the house, one to patrol the town, and one pair resting. They switched jobs every 12 hours to keep everyone fresh, and right now Hinata and Naruto were paired together on patrol.

"Tazuna said Gato has been bleeding them dry for a long time." Hinata replied in the same tone, her expression sad as she saw a boy in threadbare clothes scurry from the street into a nearby building at their approach. "He also said Gato sends men into town every once in a while to collect 'rent'." Her face darkened at the last.

"Almost makes me wish some of them would come to town now." Naruto said, his tone matching her expression. Despite her normally kind tendencies Hinata agreed. From what she could see, it would have been kinder to just kill everyone than make them live the kind of oppressed life they had here.

As the town was rather small their stroll through the former main street took only half an hour, and as they left the main area the structures became more and more dilapidated. As they rounded the slowly crumbling ruins of what had once been some sort of tailoring shop Naruto's ears picked up an unwelcome sound.

"Please, I don't have any more to give you, you've taken everything already!" The panicked woman's voice carried through the nearly abandoned street well, but a quick glance by Naruto showed even the few residents that had been visible before were already gone.

" _Cowards"_ he thought as memories of Hinata's kidnapping surfaced. Hinata activated her byakugan at the sound of the voice and her pupil-less eyes narrowed as she took off at a run without a word to Naruto.

"Hinata, wait!" Naruto cried out as he started after her, but the Hyuuga heiress just sped up as she ran towards the source of the woman's cries. He followed Hinata's retreating figure as she darted into an alley between two buildings and came to a quick stop as he realized the alley had more than just Hinata in it.

The first thing he noticed was the men: there were two of them, short blades strapped to their backs and dressed in crude leather clothing with a few mismatched pieces of armor as they stood shoulder to shoulder at the end of the alley. Neither seemed to have noticed the two new arrivals in their impromptu party as their backs were still turned towards the alley entrance, and Naruto could hear confidant laughter coming from the one on the left. Their focus was entirely on the end of the alley, and what he saw there made his blood boil.

A woman, barely out of her teens and several months pregnant from what Naruto could see, was hemmed in on three sides by the alley while the two thugs boxed her in. She was still pleading with them in a desperate voice as Naruto entered the alley, but it was the man on the right that had Naruto seeing red.

"Not _everything_." Though Naruto couldn't see the man's face his predatory grin was audible through his tone. "There are other ways to pay than money." Naruto could see the woman's face between the two men and her eyes become, if possible, even more panicked. Naruto felt a burst of chakra surround him, but it wasn't until he noticed Hinata's expression that he realized it wasn't coming from him. For the first time since he'd known her Hinata's face was filled with rage, true _hatred_ for the people in front of them, and before Naruto could say anything she was moving.

Though not well trained by any means, the men had enough awareness to feel the burst of chakra coming from Hinata and began to turn towards the mouth of the alley when Hinata reached them. The first man barely had time to pull the blade from its sheath before Hinata struck him in the leg, causing him to cry out as the limb went unresponsive. As he tilted to one side he lashed out with the blade in his hand wildly towards Hinata who proved Naruto's worry was unnecessary. In a display of uncommon flexibility she leaned almost horizontally before snapping her body back up much like she had when sparring with Naruto to unleash a flurry of strikes at the wounded man. Both shoulders, the remaining leg, and the center of his chest were all targeted with ruthless precision that left the man gasping as his body quickly began to shut down around him. The whole thing had taken maybe four seconds.

"You'll pay for that bitch." The other man had his blade out and ready now as he shot a glance back at the pregnant woman. "And after we're through I know just how to unwind."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say as the burst of chakra that came from Hinata made the previous one seem like a gentle breeze. The ground underneath her back foot actually cracked as she pushed off, and to her opponent it seemed as if she'd suddenly disappeared. By the time he'd registered her presence in front of his face her palm was already resting on his forehead and blood was leaking out of his eyes, nose, and ears.

"Bitch…." The dying man breathed as his eyes rolled up and he fell boneless to the ground. Hinata stayed in her stance for several moments before she straightened up and looked at her hands. She didn't react for nearly a minute as Naruto grabbed her shoulders and shook, trying to bring her back to her senses, before finally seeming to notice his presence. She turned towards him and Naruto felt something in his chest tighten as he saw the look of absolute despair on her face before her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed. With a shout of surprise Naruto caught her and hoisted her into his arms before turning to the woman Hinata had saved.

"Can you make it back home ok?" He asked urgently as he wanted to get Hinata back as soon as possible. When the woman nodded he concentrated for a moment as a ring of chakra appeared encircling his wrists and ankles before he seemed to disappear into thin air.

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The sight of two genin bursting through the front door of Tazuna's house, one carrying the other, was not something Tsunami would be prepared for at the best of times much less now with Gato's thugs around.

"Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-san!" Naruto's panicked voice pulled Tsunami from the living room into the front hall immediately.

"Ruto! What happened?" She exclaimed immediately upon seeing Hinata.

"I'm not sure, I need to see Kurenai or Kakashi!" Seeing the normally reserved boy in such a state shocked Tsunami.

"Kurenai-san is guarding the bridge with Kiba-san, I think your sensei was outside training with the others." Naruto was gone before she finished speaking, the sound of the door slamming the only evidence of his passing. Tsunami immediately moved over to the unconscious Hinata laid out on the living room couch and, after confirming that she was at least breathing, moved to the kitchen to get a cool compress. She wasn't sure what was wrong with the girl, but a quick check showed a slight fever and that, at least, she knew how to deal with. She had just laid the compress on Hinata's forhead when the door opened again to admit Naruto and Kakashi, the latter showing more urgency than she had seen from him before.

"What happened?" He asked in a business-like tone.

"We were on patrol when we found two men, probably Gato's, harassing a pregnant woman. When she said she had no money they implied that she could pay in 'other' ways and Hinata just…snapped. I've never seen her like that before, her chakra was actually _visible_." Kakashi's visible eye narrowed as he moved to the unconscious girl and placed a hand just above her navel.

"What happened to the men?" He asked as he moved a hand up to his hitai-ite and pulled it up slightly as he looked down at the unconscious girl.

"Dead, both of them. I think they were Hinata's first." Naruto answered sadly as he looked down at his closest friend. Kakashi left his eye uncovered for several seconds before lowering the hitai-ite and looked back at Naruto.

"You said she had a visible aura?" Naruto just nodded. "She'll be fine then, she just has some mild chakra exhaustion. She'll probably sleep through today and most of tomorrow, but should be fine by the day after." Naruto heaved a sigh of relief as Kakashi stood up.

"I'll send a clone to deal with the bodies then." A second Naruto appeared at Kakashi's approving nod and quickly left the house.

"We still need someone patrolling the town, especially after today. Can you make another pair of clones to take over? If you're right about this being her first kill, Hinata will need a friendly face nearby when she wakes up." Despite having lived through the last ninja war and years in ANBU Kakashi couldn't keep the sadness out of his voice. Another two Narutos appeared before one henge'd into a copy of Hinata as they left. Kakashi followed only moments later.

Kurenai and Kiba had bridge duty this shift, though Kurenai was watching her partner far more than she was actually watching for danger.

"Kiba! Control you partner." She sent the genin a glowering look as Akamaru made to raise his leg against a pile of construction equipment. Kiba flushed slightly, and even Akamaru's ears lowered in embarrassment. " _Kami save me from this babysitting_ " Kurenai thought as she looked up with a sigh. This was the boring part of guard missions, waiting for something to happen. Long experience had her _hoping_ nothing would happen, but her own genin days were not so long ago that she couldn't remember the nervous excitement, the eagerness to show off her skills. She wondered if her own sensei had been as exasperated with them as she was with Kiba.

Her musings were cut off as a familiar shock of white hair came over the side of the bridge ahead of schedule, causing her to tense.

"Yo, Kurenai-san. You have a second?" Kakashi's lazy tone had most of the tension bleeding away; he wouldn't be so laid back if it was serious. She nodded to the other jonin and set Kiba and Akamaru to watch the bridge as they moved away to speak in private.

"Problems?" She asked in a low voice once they were alone.

"Nothing serious, but as Hinata is your student I thought you ought to know. She and Ruto ran into some of Gato's thugs in town." He replied.

"Were they hurt?" She asked, already dreading the answer.

"No, but from what Ruto said they were about to rape a pregnant woman and Hinata snapped. She killed them both." Kurenai closed her eyes and turned away for a second. Hinata was something of a protégé of hers, and she knew how deeply her kindness ran. This would not be easy for the girl to come to terms with.

"Where is she now?"

"With Ruto and Tsunami at Tazuna's. She was apparently mad enough to manifest a visible chakra aura, and passed out after killing the two men. Just a minor case of chakra exhaustion, nothing that a day or two of rest can't fix." Kakashi studiously avoided mentioning that nothing could fix the knowledge that you've taken a human life.

"That's good. If anyone here could help her through her first kill it would be him. Maybe she can return the favor for his." Kurenai said and what she could see of Kakashi's expression behind the mask darkened.

"Too late for that." His voice was soft, but Kurenai heard him anyways.

"He's already had his first kill?" She looked at him incredulously. "When? _Where?_ I thought this was your first mission outside the village with team 7." Kakashi just gave her a stern look.

"It's classified, sealed by the Hokage's order." Despite her interest Kurenai backed off. You didn't defy that kind of authority for idle curiosity.

"Ok then. What do we do about the patrol rotations then?"

"With Ruto's chakra he can easily support a few Kage Bunshin for patrol, and a few thugs won't pose much of a problem for him. We'll keep him on town patrol and keep the rotation the same for the other teams for the next few days until Hinata is back on her feet." Kakashi left enough leeway at the end for her to object if she wanted, but if he thought Ruto could sustain a few bunshin she had no problem letting him stay with Hinata. Despite her closeness to the girl she wasn't looking forward to her reaction once she'd woken up. She nodded her assent to Kakashi and they separated to return to their previous duties, though now Kurenai had more on her mind than a misbehaving ninken.

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The forest around Tazuna's home was quiet at night. Being so close to the water meant there was never true silence in Nami no Kuni, but for Naruto the sound of waves crashing against the shore soon faded into the background leaving him alone with his thoughts. Today had been hard, not just for Hinata but for himself. The look on Hinata's face before she collapsed brought back too many memories, bad memories of his own first kill and the hell he'd gone through trying to put himself back together afterwards. At dinner that night the only thing Kiba and Sasuke could talk about was what they would have done in the same circumstances: Kiba boasted about how his clan techniques would have made mincemeat of the men while Sasuke sneered and made snide comments about how useless such 'common thugs' would be against one of the Uchiha Clan while Sakura provided her customary support.

" _Children."_ Naruto thought darkly. Neither of them had taken a life before, had seen the look in another person's eyes as the light faded because of _your_ actions. He knew their actions and words were the product of ignorance more than any real malice, but after a few minutes of listening to them argue about who would have dispatched the men faster he couldn't stay in the house any more: he needed fresh air and trees to calm down. Kakashi had told him not to go far and send a bunshin if he decided to stay out for the night, and Naruto had left a bunshin stationed outside Hinata's door in case she awoke or an emergency arose. He was sitting halfway up an oak tree listening to the different but familiar sounds of the forest around him as he tried to push down the memories the day had dredged up. This far from the rest of the Konoha ninjas he felt safe manifesting his chains for comfort, though they were mostly wrapped around his limbs under his clothes other than the one chain he was absently sprouting sub chains off of. His mind was turning over a problem he had no real solutions to: how to help Hinata. He knew intellectually that he wasn't a bad person for defending himself, and Hinata _definitely_ wasn't a bad person for killing those would-be rapists, but how to convince her. This problem kept him up well into the night until an old memory surfaced, one he hadn't thought of for some time.

" _You are allowed to protect yourself. In a fight fair is whatever lets you win."_ Itachi's words from several years ago made him narrow his eyes in contemplation. " _If you're allowed to defend yourself, defending those who can't defend themselves should be allowed too."_ He was still mulling over what exactly he wanted to say to Hinata when sleep finally overtook him, but he fell asleep with a small smile. At least he had a starting point.

It wasn't the sound of the person below him that woke Naruto so much as the absence of other sounds. Despite the intruder's near-silent footsteps the animals of the forest were not taken by surprise, and the normal sounds of the small animals of the forest quieted as he neared. Naruto's only movement upon waking was to open his eyes and slightly tilt his head to bring the newcomer into view. The basket the " _Is that a boy or a girl?"_ was holding spoke of benign intentions, but he knew there were at least two missing-nin in the area out for their client's blood and he wasn't one to take foolish chances. Moving silently he pulled himself into a crouch as he drew a kunai from his pouch and prepared to drop down.

Haku was in a relatively good mood as the sun moved slightly higher in the sky. Zabuza-sama was nearly back to full strength after his run-in with the ninja from Konoha, and despite his miserly nature Gato had taken some of his suggestions to heart, giving them a much greater chance of completing their mission without too much difficulty. The early morning had provided an opportunity to gather ingredients for an herbal tea that would help speed the last bit of Zabuza-sama's recovery up and so Haku had left before sunrise to ensure enough time to make it back before Zabuza awoke.

The basket was nearly full when the slight sound of bark scraping made Haku's heart hammer uncontrollably, and the basket nearly fell from limp fingers when a figure wearing a Konoha hitai-ite dropped into the previously empty clearing.

" _I never even sensed his presence!"_ Haku thought in shock as the ninja straightened up, one hand behind his back as he turned to Haku.

"Good morning." He said politely. "A bit early for flower picking." The tone was polite, but there was obviously a question in there.

"They're for an herbal tea. They're most potent at dawn." Haku answered almost automatically while frantically running through plans. As this was supposed to be a quick supply run, not a combat mission, there had been no need to bring weapons. Though it was possible Haku's other skills would be enough to fight against the Konoha nin, the fact that he was able to get so close without any sign of his presence suggested a level of skill Haku was not comfortable fighting against unprepared.

"Ah, I see. You might want to avoid that one then." The boy pointed to the plant Haku was just about to pick up when he'd dropped down. "It's a poison." The offending hand was quickly withdrawn.

"T-Thank you." Haku said, forcing down any sign of nervousness. "Why are you out this early?" Haku asked in an attempt to keep the ninja focused on pleasantries.

"Just woke up." The boy pointed to the tree he'd dropped out of. "No place more pleasant to be than in a tree." He smiled at the small rhyme and stuck his hand out. "Kodama Ruto." He introduced himself.

"Haku" came the reply as they shook hands. There was no way Haku was going to mention the surname "Momochi". It would be like shouting out the connection to Zabuza-sama. "I'm sorry, but I really must be going. This tea should be made from the freshest ingredients possible." Haku excused and began to head out of the clearing.

"Of course." Naruto replied with a smile. Haku was nearly out of the clearing when his voice rang out again. "Haku-san!" Heart hammering once more Haku turned back towards the boy. "Next time you go looking for herbs, don't forget your equipment. Being prepared saves lives, especially your own." Without another word he walked out of the clearing leaving a wide-eyed Haku behind.

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"I'm back Kakashi-sensei" Naruto called as he opened the door to Tazuna's house. The rest of the Konoha ninja, sans Hinata, had joined Tsunami at the table eating breakfast. He took a seat next to Shino and helped himself to a bowl of cereal and an apple. Conversation was light as their hosts began to wake up while the ninja present simply enjoyed the peace before another busy day, but when they finished Naruto caught Kakashi's attention and subtly signed that he needed to speak to him. They finished cleaning up breakfast in short order and soon Naruto and Kakashi split off to the second floor.

"What did you need to talk to me about Ruto?" Kakashi asked quietly.

"I ran across another ninja in the forest this morning." Naruto began. "Not hostile, but from what we know there's a good chance they were working for Gato."

"You didn't try to engage?" By the state of Naruto's clothing it was unlikely he'd been in a fight.

"No, the ninja made no threatening moves and I'm not even sure if it was an enemy. No sense in courting trouble if we don't have to. I just thought you should know there may be more players in the area than we thought." Naruto said.

"Forewarned is forearmed" Kakashi said as he nodded. "I've got bridge duty today, why don't you set a few clones in a sentry pattern say half a mile out from the house? We don't need any surprises." Naruto nodded and soon a dozen copies were on their way into the forest. "You're planning to stay with Hinata?" Naruto nodded, worry showing on his face. Knowing nothing he could say would alleviate his worries Kakashi just squeezed his shoulder in silent support, earning a small smile from the boy. "Tazuna will be leaving for the bridge any minute, if anything happens send a clone." Below them they could hear Tazuna grumbling as grabbed his coat and headed for the door, which prompted Kakashi's departure. As the front door closed Naruto walked over to the door outside Hinata's room and sat down, silent in his vigil.

It was nearly four in the afternoon before a stifled sob alerted Naruto that Hinata was awake. As silently as he could he nudged the door open, entering the darkened room and making his way to the bedside. Hinata was curled in a ball, oblivious to the world as quiet sobs wracked her petite form, and Naruto felt a wave of sadness wash over him. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and winced when she shied away from his touch.

"How can you stand to touch a monster like me." Her voice was muffled but the self-loathing came clearly.

"You're not a monster Hinata-chan. You saved that woman." Naruto said softly.

"I killed two people yesterday. No, worse, I _slaughtered_ them. They didn't even have a chance to fight back." A new round of sobbing shook Hinata, and Naruto was forcibly reminded of the days of self-recrimination he'd endured after Akihiro. He knew all too well the depths Hinata was in danger of sinking to.

"If that's how you really feel, you can help me find that woman you saved." Naruto said, filling his voice with fake cheer.

"W-What?"

"That woman you saved. If stopping those men from raping her was wrong, the least we can do is finish what they started. It's the only honorable thing to do. So are you going to help me find the woman and continue from where they left off?" The sobs had stopped, and Hinata was staring at Naruto as if he'd suddenly grown horns and wings.

"How…how can you even say something like that? That's terrible!" She yelled.

"What, you're saying rape is wrong?" Naruto asked, his tone skeptical.

"Of COURSE it's wrong, it's vile!" Hinata's face was getting red now as her anger mounted.

"And extorting people?"

"YES!" Hinata was nearly incoherent now.

"So stopping those men was the right thing to do?"

"Of cou-" Hinata stopped mid-sentence as the truth blindsided her.

"Hinata." Naruto began gently, sitting on the edge of her bed and looking directly into her eyes. "What you did was brutal, but necessary. Those weren't men, they were rabid animals that needed to be put down, and what you did saved an innocent woman from being violated in the deepest of ways. We're ninja, and sometimes killing is part of the job. Sometimes it may seem heartless, but some people can only be stopped by killing." Once again Naruto reached his hand out towards her shoulder, but this time instead of flinching away Hinata threw her arms around him and hugged him. Despite his aversion to contact he put his arms around her and awkwardly returned the hug as tears dampened his shirt. They stayed like that for several minutes before Hinata's breathing smoothed out and Naruto looked down to find her sleeping peacefully. Carefully tucking her back under the covers, a difficult task due to her death grip on his arm, Naruto slowly backed out of the room and closed the door behind him. Once outside he let out a relieved sigh, happy that he'd been able to help Hinata in a way no one had been around to help him, and sat down with his back against the door as he pondered why the memory of Hinata in his arms was causing him so much embarrassment

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The next few days passed uneventfully. Hinata was able to leave her bed long enough to eat dinner the day she'd woken up, although she almost immediately fell asleep afterwards. With Naruto's clones patrolling the town and woods around Tazuna's house the rest of Teams 7 and 8 stuck to their guard rotations and with ninja looking out for them Tazuna's workers were making good progress on the final stretch of the bridge. Inari's belligerent attitude hadn't changed much at all since their arrival but Naruto enjoyed Tsunami's gentle company, and was even beginning to hope Gato might have just cut his losses after finding out about the Konoha ninja's presence. It wasn't until nearly two weeks after Team 8's fight with Zabuza, mere days away from the bridge's completion according to Tazuna, that Naruto was reminded that the world is rarely so idyllic.

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With the bridge so close to being finished both Kurenai and Kakashi had agreed that Tazuna was a bigger target than ever, and as such had altered the guard rotation. For the last two days the two jonin had taken to posting a double-strength guard on the bridge that always included the two jonin, just in case Zabuza decided to make another run at the bridge builder. Officially Naruto was exempt from bridge duty as he was helping to take care of Hinata, but in truth Kakashi had flat out told Kurenai that of the genin present Naruto was the only one he trusted to defend Tazuna's family. Sasuke was more likely to show off and let something get by him that take his job seriously if it involved guarding 'lowly' civilians, and although they showed great promise neither Kiba and Akamaru nor Shino were as skilled as the redhead. Kurenai had given him an irritated look at his assessment of her team, but as Kakashi's voice had been matter-of-fact instead of condescending as he spoke she held her tongue. Either way the areas that needed guarding were guarded, and if she was honest Hinata would probably be happiest with Naruto there.

The ninja in question was helping Tsunami pull weeds in the front yard, chatting softly with her when he suddenly stiffened and turned to Tazuna's daughter.

"Tsunami-san, you need to get inside." Somewhat confused at his sudden change in demeanor the older woman hesitated. "Now!" Naruto snapped. "There are men coming this way and it will be easier to defend you if you're inside. Please go, and tell Hinata to come out here." Tsunami nodded with a worried look on her face and hurried inside as Naruto ran over to where Shino and Sakura were standing guard. Sakura gave him a thinly disguised look of irritation when he came to a stop, but the stoic Aburame simply raised an eyebrow.

"You need to get to the bridge and tell Kakashi and Kurenai that there are men on the way here." Shino's relaxed posture immediately went on high alert while Sakura looked at him skeptically.

"Why can't you go tell him?" She asked him snidely, and Naruto had to resist the urge to grab her by the front of her shirt and shake her until a modicum of sense entered her pink-topped head.

"I have to stay with Hinata-chan, and if there are more of them out there that my clones _haven't_ found two people stand a better chance of making it through to give a warning than one. They don't seem to be ninja, but there are a lot of them and only one of use can make an army on command." He said, keeping the irritation out of his voice. Shino, he was glad to see, made no objection to carrying the warning. Sakura grumbled a bit at Naruto for a moment but she had already learned that winning a staring contest with someone wearing opaque glasses was a losing proposition. She turned and followed Shino out of the clearing as Naruto made his way back to the house.

"Ruto-kun, what's going on? Tsunami said something about men coming?" Hinata was waiting for him by the front door. Two inner-perimeter clones dispelled, letting him know the men were close and both Shino and Sakura were on their way to the bridge unmolested (for the moment).

"My clones picked up a group of men coming this way, by the looks of it they're more of Gato's thugs. I sent Shino and Sakura to warn the senseis but they won't get back before the men get here."

Hinata seemed to shrink into herself as memories of her first kills surfaced again. After talking to Naruto that first day Hinata had admitted that she'd done the right thing by saving that woman, but though she tried to hide it Naruto knew she was still having nightmares about that day, if her whimpering at night was anything to go by. Seeing her begin to shrink into herself Naruto grabbed her arm.

"You'll be fine." He said in a low voice. "Just remember what they're here to do and that you're protecting Tsunami-san." That managed to get a bit of fire back in Hinata as she glanced back at the house holding their host and her son. Her look lasted a long moment before she visibly collected herself and turned back to Naruto.

"How many?"

"My clones counted eight before dispelling. They were all carrying weapons but none had hitai-ite or moved like shinobi." Naruto rolled back his sleeves to reveal the weights strapped there. His voice was slightly distracted as he began to remove them. "They'll be here in a little over three minutes if they hold the pace they're at." The weights on his arms fell with an audible *clink* before he picked them up and sealed them in a scroll he'd pulled from a pocket. As he rolled up the cloth around his ankles to reveal the other half of the set he noticed Hinata following his lead.

"If they're not ninja why take off the weights?" She asked as she unwrapped a row of yellow-banded weights from her own ankle. Naruto just pointed at the weights in response.

"It takes a few seconds to take them off, seconds we may not have if someone skilled sneaks by my clones. Better safe than sorry." The last of the weights were sealed away as he offered to store Hinata's, but she surprised him by producing her own sealing scroll.

"They're really useful." She said with a blush as she caught Naruto's questioning look at the scroll. "They really should teach us about them at the Academy, at least the basic sealing scrolls. They make getting ready and carrying large amounts of equipment so much easier." He nodded in agreement with a small smile before stretched lightly. As he straightened up from his pose he heard the rustling of several bodies moving along the edge of the clearing Tazuna's house sat in and tensed as the first person came into view.

Unlike the men from the alley he was dressed in a fitted leather jerkin and grieves, an empty scabbard strapped to his back showing where the unsheathed blade in his hand normally resided. His face and hair were dirty, like he'd been living outdoors for a while, but he was obviously well fed and moved with obvious confidence.

"What's this? A couple of kiddies for us to play with?" He called out in a faux-surprised voice as similarly-dressed men filed into the clearing.

Naruto's only answer was to pull a kunai from his pouch, an action that had the lead man's eyes widening in surprise.

"They're letting little kiddies play ninja these days, huh?" A wide grin split his face as he looked between the two genin. "It would be rude of me not to play with such eager kiddies, it would, and we just so happen to have some business with the lady of the house behind you. Not-"the man licked his lips as he leered at Hinata "that we couldn't be… _persuaded_.. to delay a little if you wanted to do something a little more enjoyable." Naruto sensed Hinata stiffening besides him and gripped his kunai tighter as he schooled his face into an expressionless mask. The men began to fan out behind the one who had been doing all the talking and pulled their own weapons out as the chatty one stepped forward, swinging his sword casually. "Whaddya say little pretty? Ditch the cold fish over there and come play with us." He was closer to Hinata than Naruto, so the redhead had little chance of stopping Hinata when she acted. Her back foot tensed for a fraction of a second before her small frame was launched forward faster than the man could react. To the hired mercenaries it seemed as if the little girl in the funny stance disappeared, only to reappear a fraction of a second later with her hand resting on their leader's chest. The man looked down at Hinata with a cocky smirk as he felt her hand on his chest.

"Couldn't wait to get a piece of me, huh?" He said before noticing her eyes. Fear flickered across his features as he saw cold pupil-less orbs staring back at him. He stumbled back half a step before pain erupted all across his chest, radiating from the point where the hand had rested. "W-wha.." His question was interrupted as he coughed up a spray of blood.

"Rabid animals like you do not get to insult Naruto-kun." The last thing the man saw as his vision clouded over was Hinata looking down at him with a faintly disgusted look on her face, like she'd just stepped on a bug.

Naruto was just as shocked as the rest of the hired thugs at Hinata's actions. Not only had she said his real name, something she hadn't slipped up about in years, but she'd cut down the lead mercenary without so much as a moment of hesitation! For a long minute every eye in the clearing was focused solely on Hinata as she stared down at the vacant eyes of her victim until a shout from one of the invading men broke the reverie.

"You bitch! I'll fucking kill you!" As if the shout was a starting gun for a race the rest of the mercenaries began to charge at Hinata, who fell back into her stance as she faced the incoming attackers. Naruto, his own daze broken by the same shout, quickly moved to support her as a dozen identical redheads popped into existence. Seeing their enemies' numbers raise so quickly caused a moment of apprehension as the attackers' charge faltered, providing all the opportunity Naruto needed. A quick kawarimi with the left-most thug pulled the unfortunate man into a crowd of clones who quickly ventilated him with kunai while the real Naruto was suddenly flanking the oncoming men. The partner of the man he'd substituted barely had time to register his friend's disappearance before a kunai was slid across his neck by a spinning Naruto, the spin finishing with the same kunai being embedded in the temple of the next man over. Naruto's clones moved to engage the five remaining men en-mass while Hinata's dance-like movements allowed her to evade the descending blades of two of the mercenaries. Her flowing dodge carried her behind the two would-be swordsman and gave her a clear shot at their backs, leaving both men on the ground without the ability to move as the realization of their severed spinal cords began to dawn. The sound of a man screaming in rage alerted her to the oncoming blade of another mercenary with plenty of time to avoid the weapon, and she wasn't even required to deal with the man himself as a pair of Narutos slammed into him from two different directions. The man let out a strange sort of moaning cough accompanied by a small amount of blood, and when both clones pulled away from him Hinata could clearly see the holes their kunai had made in his chest. Sparing only a moment to nod her thanks to them Hinata turned to the last two men just in time to see a Naruto steal one of the men's own sword and skewer him on it. The last mercenary looked at the crowd of ninja with wild eyes as he held his blade in front of him, unsure of which threat to focus on.

"What the hell are you people?" He screamed, nearly incoherent in his panic. A Naruto to his left shifted, drawing his attention and blade as he focused on the potential threat. As his attention was occupied another Naruto darted behind the man and slashed a kunai across the back of his sword hand, causing him to drop the weapon, before the group restrained him. The entire thing had lasted less than five minutes and Hinata hadn't even had to activate her Byakugan. One clone henge'd into a coil of ropes that was used to quickly hogtie the offending mercenary before the rest of the crowd drew back to let what Hinata was sure was the original through. He crouched in front of the surviving mercenary.

"Care to tell us about your plans?" He asked, his voice flat.

"Go to hell you freak" The man spat at Naruto, but the redhead dodged to the side well before the projectile could land. Sighing slightly Naruto turned to Hinata.

"You might not want to see this Hinata-chan. It won't be pretty." Cold eyes, so different from her normal caring orbs, met him. While he was worried about the changes taking place in his closest friend Naruto knew time was likely of the essence here. He would have to deal with Hinata's emotional turmoil later. He nodded reluctantly at her before looking at a clone standing directly behind the bound man and made a slight signal. The clone put his hand on the lower left side of the man's back, just below the kidney and spleen.

"What the hell are you doAAAGHH!" The mercenary's question became an agonized scream that lasted for several seconds before falling back to whimpering.

"I'll ask you again, what are your plans for Tazuna-san?" Naruto's voice had gained a hard edge that only made his calm tone more intimidating. The man was silent for several seconds before looking back up at Naruto.

"You think a little tickle like that is enough to scare me. Fuck you." A sneer crossed the man's pale face until Naruto nodded to the clone and the screams started again. This time he let the yells and curses go on for nearly a minute before signaling the clone to stop.

"What you're feeling right now is a blade working its way through your stomach and intestines." Naruto described dispassionately. "As it is right now, you might recover from these injuries. If you make me ask again, you will be left with permanent damage." The mercenary glared at Naruto with hateful eyes for several minutes before something seemed to break in him, and his head lowered.

"It doesn't matter anyways." He said with a small humorless laugh. "It's not like a couple of kids like you could stop it." His head rose as he looked at Naruto and gave him a small smile. "Your friends at the bridge are probably all dead now. Gato sent Zabuza and that new team to take care of the old man while we were supposed to get his daughter and grandson for insurance. If you leave now you might be able to get out of here before Zabuza and his bitch finds you, which makes you luckier than your companions." The man laughed darkly as he finished, and Naruto stood up.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Goodbye." The clone needed no signal this time to tell him what to do. He placed his hand on the back of the mercenary's head and a moment later the man fell down limply. Naruto stood still for a moment as he went over the mercenary's words in his mind before turning to Hinata.

"We need to get to the bridge."

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It was the fog rolling in from the unfinished end of the bridge that first made Kakashi realize something was wrong. A quick glance at Kurenai told him she had also felt the chakra lacing the incoming moisture as she moved to gather Tazuna and the few workers still present this late in the day. Their small numbers meant it took only moments to get them grouped together before a quick command from Kakashi had Kiba and Sasuke guarding the group. In the short time it had taken for them to get organized nearly half the bridge was covered in roiling fog. Both jonin scanned the area around them nervously as the fog roiled before pulling back several feet to reveal a group that had Kakashi sweating. There, standing just outside the fog, was a five-man group headed by the easily recognizable figure of Momochi Zabuza. Kakashi immediately tensed.

"Aww hell."


	9. Chapter 8: River Madness

**A/N: I don't own anything other than the storyline and the original jutsu; everything else is kishimoto's.**

So i'm not dead (yay!) and TLTU is not abandoned, I just tend to write long chapters and life gets in the way sometimes. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 8: River Madness**

"Any idea who the other three are?" Kurenai asked in a low voice as the two jonin stared at the newcomers. Behind them Tazuna and the few workers who had stayed on through Gato's threats and predations backed away slowly.

"No idea _who"_ Kakashi answered tersely. "but I recognize the trident." The largest of the three unknowns was holding a large trident casually in one hand, his easy stance and handling hinting at great familiarity with the uncommon weapon. Kurenai narrowed her eyes slightly as she focused on the weapon.

"I don't." She murmured as the mist roiled around the figures. Both Zabuza and the large man made to step forward at the same time, and the missing swordsman shot a glare at the trident wielder.

"Not surprising. It was thought destroyed, or at the very least lost at the bottom of the ocean when Uzu fell." A sharp intake of breath was Kurenai's only response. "Don't let it hit you" Kakashi continued, as they spread apart slightly. "It corrupts your chakra. The longer it stays in contact with you the worse the effect."

"And here I thought Konoha had completely forgotten about their former ally." The large man said. With the mist bouncing his voice he didn't have to speak very loud. "Glad to see the Akuma no Fuhai hasn't been entirely forgotten." The tip of the trident spun hypnotically as he spoke, coming to rest with the tips pointed towards Kakashi. "Almost makes me feel bad about having to kill you."

"Having the spear doesn't mean you know how to use it." Kakashi drawled. "And it's almost as dangerous to the wielder as their enemies, if you're not from Uzu. And you don't seem like the type." The large man narrowed his eyes at Kakashi before nodding to the other two unknowns.

"I was going to give you a chance to leave and keep your life, but now I think I'll just feed you to my spear instead." The figure next to Zabuza tensed as the two ninja peeled off towards Tazuna, and the Swordsman gave an audible sigh.

"Go keep our allies from getting killed and wrecking the mission please, Haku." The masked figure nodded once and moved to join the other two, ignoring the trio of glares from his 'allies'. As the three split off towards Tazuna, Kakashi and Kurenai shifted towards them.

"You didn't think we'd just stand here and let you go after the bridge builder, did you?" Kakashi asked in a mocking voice, only to reach out and pull Kurenai sharply to the side. The space she'd occupied only a moment earlier was now a mass of roiling blue-black chakra, the trident previously held in the mystery jonin's hands now embedded in the bridge.

"You don't have a choice." The man held out his hand, wreathed in the same blue-black chakra, and the trident leapt from the bridge back into his hands.

' _Ok, didn't know it could do that…"_ Kakashi mused, though his only external sign of surprise was a slow blink. Behind his back he was flashing Sasuke and Kiba signs for _delay_ and _protect_. He could only hope the two would be able to hold off the other three assailants long enough for Kakashi and Kurenai to finish off the two here.

"Quit showing off Shōjō." Zabuza growled at the other man as he readied his own sword.

"Can you handle Zabuza again?" Kakashi asked under his breath, getting a nearly imperceptible nod as he uncovered his sharingan. Zabuza tensed at the sight of the legendary doujutsu, but Shōjō just rolled his shoulders languidly. "On my mark." Kakashi said, staring intently at Shōjō as he focused chakra into his legs. The sound of a loud explosion from further down the bridge caught his attention, and his anxiety spiked. ' _We need to finish this quickly'_ he thought, and leapt forward.

* * *

"So…I'll take the two on the left, you take the one on the right?" The normal cocksure tone was mostly absent from Kiba's voice, and Akamaru was whining nervously at his side as they looked at the approaching ninja. Farther down the bridge they could see Kakashi and Kurenai engaging Zabuza and an unfamiliar man with a trident, and with a sinking feeling Kiba realized that no help would be coming from that quarter.

"Just shut up and guard the drunk, dog-breath." Sasuke replied in a clipped tone as he followed the enemy ninja's movements, missing the slight glare the other boy shot his way. The three nukenin came to a halt several meters away, the smaller masked ninja standing to the side of the two men.

"Any chance you'd give up the old man peacefully?" The larger of the two men called out, his voice cheerful. "I'd like to get this over with as quick as possible and get out of this dump. Whole place is just _depressing_." A low growl came from Tazuna at the stranger's denigration of his home, but a quick look from Kiba made him fall silent. Instead of answering he and Akamaru split to take a defensive position in front of Tazuna while Sasuke moved in front of the two of them, his stance relaxed. The large man simply smiled wider than before.

"Ah, well. I can't say I really enjoy killing children but, well… a job's a job." The look of sadistic glee ran counter to his words, but Kiba didn't have time to worry about that as the three assailants quickly spread out in a large semicircle. Sasuke tensed and brought his hands up in a tiger sign as they moved, but before he could finish his eyes widened and he dove frantically to the side as the air screamed in the place he'd been standing moments before. A bright flash of light blinded Kiba for a second as a thunderclap made him wince and cover his sensitive ears, and when the flash faded he stared at a several-inch-deep crater in the bridge's surface.

"He's faster than he looks. This'll be fun!" Kiba's head whipped up to see the smaller of the two unmasked men standing almost twenty meters away, an aura of crackling electricity writhing around him.

"We're so screwed." He whispered fearfully, and Akamaru whimpered in agreement before jumping to the side as a two foot diameter fireball roared past, nearly singing his fur.

"Watch where you're firing, Uchiha!" Kiba yelled angrily as he caught sight of Sasuke standing to the side and behind Akamaru. The fireball sped straight towards the lighting-shrouded man, only for another bolt to tear through the center of the jutsu and dissipate it halfway to the target.

"Slow and sloppy, how the hell did Konoha survive the last war?" The larger man taunted as Sasuke fumed. "This is how you use ninjutsu _correctly_ boy." With deceptive dexterity for so large a man he quickly flashed through half a dozen symbols, and a part of Kiba was awed as a wave of electricity covered the man from head to toe. Both Konoha genin tensed as the man put pressure on his back foot, and the aura around him brightened while he seemed to blur forwards with unbelievable speed. Kiba could only watch incredulously as the incoming shinobi covered the distance between them faster than he would react, and a part of him was contemplating how badly his mom was going to kill him for letting some nukenin ice him on his first mission. As the blur reached the halfway point between them, however, a string of kunai embedded in the ground in front of Kiba. The blur continued unimpeded towards them for another fraction of a second before the explosive tags wrapped around their handles detonated, obscuring the bridge in smoke and fire.

"Are you alright Sasuke-kun!" Kiba was caught between sighing in relief and groaning as he heard Sakura's unmistakable voice. ' _I'd almost rather face the nukenin alone_ '.

"Are you injured Kiba?" Shino's vastly more welcome, if creepily flat, voice came from behind him.

"Fine, although the Uchiha nearly roasted Akamaru." Kiba replied, shooting a glare to the side. The last of the smoke was dissipating and he could almost make out Sasuke's form. Shino's only reaction was to raise an eyebrow slightly.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you guys doing here? I thought you were guarding Tazuna's place." Kiba asked as he shifted back into a ready stance. With the smoke clearing the enemy would soon be able to attack again.

"We were sent to warn Kakashi-san and Kurenai-senpai of an attack on the house. Ruto and Hinata stayed behind to deal with it." Shino replied, mimicking Kiba's stance as his kikaichu began to buzz eagerly. "I see the attack on Tazuna's residence was not the only attempt."

Any response died as the last of the smoke cleared. The smaller man was in the same position as before, though he was now holding a shifting spear of what appeared to be pure lightning overhead like a javelin. The masked figure had drifted even farther to the side and was standing not far from one of the edges of the bridge in an easy stance, and Kiba somehow knew that he was being watched intently by concealed eyes. The final figure, however, made Kiba shiver involuntarily: the large man that had charged them was covered in nicks and bruises that only provided a fitting addition to his murderous gaze.

"You're going to pay for that." He growled in a low voice, and the aura around him surged again.

* * *

Back up the bridge, Kurenai was rapidly going from irritated to livid. Her chosen field might focus on controlling enemy perception and the state of the battlefield, but this was just ridiculous!

Across from her, nearly obscured by the rolling mists, was no less than _eleven_ different bodies locked in combat. As she watched, Kakashi was cut down by the chakra-wreathed form of the Akuma no Fuhai only to collapse into a shower of water droplets, appearing next to Zabuza's bandage-wrapped form a moment later and delivering a vicious kunai thrust to the assassin's neck. Instead of the spray of blood she expected, Zabuza collapsed into yet _another_ pile of water while Shōjō dodged around a set of illusionary roots that Kurenai had created to trap the trident-user. So far Kurenai had seen no less than five different 'deaths', and yet not one of the combatants sported an actual wound.

' _I'm really starting to hate bunshin'_ She thought as she phased through the trunk of a tree created by her technique and threw a brace of kunai at another Zabuza. To her surprise the former swordsman cursed slightly as a line of bright red blood appeared across his back, but before she could call out to Kakashi or capitalize on her discovery the mist thickened again and she lost sight of the real body. Frustrated, Kurenai darted from illusionary trunk to illusionary trunk until she was next to one of the Kakashis.

"You're supposed to know almost a thousand techniques; can't you do something about this mist?" She hissed at him, only to get a blank look in return. ' _Another clone'_ she thought, irritated, before Kakashi's voice came from nearby.

"One, _mizu bunshin_. Two, how exactly would I get rid of this mist? It's not like I can just blow..it.…" Hearing his voice allowed Kurenai to find the real Kakashi, and she raised an eyebrow at him as his sentence trailed off.

"Yes?" She prompted, absently sending a trio of regular _bunshin_ towards Shōjō. The Akuma no Fuhai swung through their bodies in a wide arc, disrupting them and causing two of the illusions to collapse into nothingness.

"I've been an idiot, haven't I?" Kakashi said in a sheepish voice. Kurenai simply glared at him for a moment before looking away as he sighed and began to make hand signs.

 _"_ _Futon: Daitoppa"_

Kakashi thrust his hand forward forcefully as the air around him seemed to pause, then swell into a minor hurricane. The roaring sound forced Kurenai to cover her ears and squint as the mist began to thin, but she gave a small smile as the last of the moisture blew away and she could finally see more than a few feet.

"About time." She muttered, and for a moment she would have sworn she could actually _feel_ Kakashi's embarrassment radiating off him as she ran through a series of hand signs.

 _Magen: Naite Akuma_

'God I hate genjutsu' one of the Zabuza muttered as the first drops of acidic rain began to drop from the clouds. The strain of holding up so many concurrent illusions was beginning to drag at her reserves, but with the mist gone she could finally use some of her better illusions to hopefully disable at least one of their opponents. A quick series of hand signs sent Kakashi running towards Shōjō with a trio of fireballs as the nukenin brushed angrily at the illusory rain. As soon as the first fireball left Kakashi, Zabuza launched his blade forward with great speed, the edge passing through the space Kakashi had been only a moment before and embedding deep in the stonework of the bridge. Kurenai, finally able to find what she _hoped_ was the real Zabuze, melted into one of the illusionary trees littering the bridge after leaving behind a bunshin to take her place. Shielded by her trees for the moment she waited as Zabuza darted forward to retrieve his sword.

Kurenai was under no illusions regarding her ability to take on one of the Seven Swordsman in a straight fight; illusions were her forte, not taijutsu. So instead of attacking head on, she decided to lay a trap. Triggered genjutsu were difficult to work with, requiring not only a delicate touch but also a large chunk of chakra to anchor them to the intended area, but for times like this they were invaluable. Her hidden state afforded all the time needed to go through the seals needed, and she couldn't help but smile slightly as she intoned the jutsu name.

 _Magen: Nise Seikatsu_

The sudden loss of almost half her remaining chakra nearly caused her to stumble from the safety of her tree, but what happened next was worth every drop of chakra spent. Zabazu, his attention still firmly focused on Kakashi, landed next to the Kubikiribōchō and grabbed the hilt with careless strength. The moment his hand made contact with the weapon Kurenai felt her genjutsu take hold, and the former Kiri shinobi froze in place. A closer look would show him not actually frozen, but rather moving incredibly slowly, and Kurenai gave an internal sigh of relief even as she darted forward holding a kunai. Not trusting that the dangerous man would be held long, even by so powerful a genjutsu as the one she'd used, Kurenai swung the bottom of her kunai at Zabuza's temple. The feel of the metal hitting his head was deeply satisfying after all the misdirection she'd been through so far this battle, and he slumped to the ground bonelessly in front of her. There was a moment of peace as the three remaining combatants looked at each other warily before Shōjō chuckled.

"So that's how far the great 'Swordsman of the Mist' gets, eh? I think he might have been a little over-hyped." He rolled the trident around his shoulders quickly as he spoke before letting it fall loosely to his side. "Ah well, I was getting bored anyways." The corrosive aura around his weapon swelled as his muscles tensed, and Kurenai winced slightly. She could feel the corrupted chakra prickling against her skin even from over here. ' _Have to avoid getting hit by that directly"_ She thought as both Konoha shinobi circled the trident wielder.

* * *

If it wasn't for the fact that Kiba needed all his focus to stay ahead of the electricity-shrouded nukenin his jaw would have hit the floor long ago. Though 'everyone' knew Sasuke had been top of their class, Kiba had always thought his combat skills were enough to give the other boy a run for his money, and he had always assumed that the quiet Shino would fall into the traditional Aburame role of a mid-to-long range support ninja: from what he could see on the bridge, that was _definitely_ a mistake.

"How many of those damned things do you have!?" The lightning thrower yelled in irritation as Shino pulled yet another kunai wrapped in exploding tags. The deceptively small projectile quickly arrowed forward and, having experienced the explosive force contained within, the enemy ninja took a long leap backwards. When the smoke had cleared after Shino's explosive entrance he and Kiba had ended up closest to the two lightning users while Sasuke and Sakura had pulled farther away towards the masked individual, although the pinkette was currently guarding Tazuna instead of actively fighting.

"My clan's techniques are not well-suited for straight confrontation." Shino intoned as Kiba dodged another crackling punch from his own adversary with Akamaru's help. "It would be therefore unwise to rely solely on those skills. I compensated accordingly."

Despite the situation Kiba spared a fraction of a second to send the Aburame an incredulous look.

' _Compensated accordingly? What the hell would he consider OVERcompensating?'_

His opponent apparently had similar thoughts as he paused in his single-minded quest to electrocute and/or crush Kiba to send a wide-eyed look at the bug user before shaking his head and launching himself into another flying grab at the Inuzuka. Kiba's momentary distraction cost him dearly as he realized he was too close to dodge away from the other shinobi's attack, and he hurriedly threw himself into a panicked _Gatsūga._ His vision dissolved into an incomprehensible whirling of colors and lights as he spun rapidly, and a small smile pulled his lips upwards for a moment as he felt the edge of the technique impact upon a solid form. His satisfaction lasted only a moment, however, before his muscles began to spasm uncontrollably and he lost control of his technique's rotation and fell to the ground.

As Kiba pulled himself shakily to his feet he caught sight of his opponent groaning several meters away, his lightining aura still crackling but now sparking slightly across a dripping line of blood on his shoulder.

' _Gah, I can't even_ _ **touch**_ _him or that stupid aura zaps me. How the hell am I supposed to beat this guy!?'_ He griped internally, and for a moment he threw an envious glance at Shino. Some of those explosive tags would go a long way towards lifting some of the pressure in his fight. His opponent seemed, like Kiba, to favor close range combat, but that shock aura was negating any advantage Kiba had. It seemed to accelerate him somehow, allowing him to match the Kiba's _Shikyaku_ -enhanced speed with ease, and any time he or Akamaru tried to land a hit the armor would shock them hard enough to make them lose all control of their body. The only saving grace was that the aura didn't protect him from any damage as far as Kiba could see, but any attack was going to hurt him almost as much as his opponent.

"That's one hell of a technique dog-boy." The large man said as he groaned and stood while glancing at his bleeding shoulder. "Think it would make me puke if I tried it though. Too much spinning."

"You get used to it." Kiba shot back, unable to help himself. His muscles were still twitching slightly from his brief electrocution, and anything that stalled his opponent gave him a few more seconds to recover. "And my name is **not** dog-boy. It's Kiba!" He shouted as his brain caught up with his ears.

"Good to know, I'll be sure to write it on your corpse." Came the retort. "'Here lies Kiba, killed by Raijū. Has a nice ring to it." Raijū smiled cockily while Kiba growled.

* * *

' _I'll have to thank Ruto-san later. His analysis of my fighting style's weaknesses was accurate, and his solution has been surprisingly effective.'_ Shino mused silently as he watched his opponent jump away from another exploding kunai. ' _And amusing'_. Hidden below the collar of his jacket Shino allowed himself a small smile. Most of Konoha saw the Aburame as stoic, emotionless husks, barely more human than the kikaichū they housed, but those close to them knew they had a definite sense of humor. It was just a little more…warped…than most would understand, which was possibly why Shino got along so well with Ruto.

' _194 tagged kunai left'_ Shino noted as he activated a storage seal sewn into the sleeve of his jacket by Hinata (under Ruto's supervision) and felt another projectile drop into his palm. Early on in his association with Ruto he'd come across the redhead writing the same tag over and over, and when he'd asked for an explanation had been told that in sealing " _practice makes perfect_ ". Even now it was not uncommon to find Ruto or one of his clones churning out basic seals one after the other, and the two boys had taken advantage of that need for constant practice to give the Aburame a store of explosive projectiles capable of leveling a small city. Secretly, deep in his thoughts where he would never say it out loud, Shino admitted that one of the main reasons he liked his 'supplementary' arsenal was the sheer fun of blowing stuff up.

A sharp motion drew Shino from his musings as he focused on his opponent, noting the crackling bolt of energy he held like a divine arrow. So far he'd only used that one technique over and over again, but it was a surprisingly effective long-range deterrent: fast, powerful, and difficult to block due to its pure-energy construction. Twice Shino had had to use his insect clones to prevent himself from suffering the full power of the jutsu, and the loss of so many of his kikaichū was…irritating. Throwing his kunai to disrupt his opponent's aim, Shino ran through his available arsenal of techniques in his head before the sound of Kiba's yell lent a sense of urgency to his thoughts. He knew Ruto and Hinata would not be far behind them as a group of untrained mercenaries would be laughably insufficient to go against those two, but holding out would mean nothing if he lost an ally in the process.

Making a snap decision so unlike his normal slow deliberations, Shino pulled his hands into his sleeves and fingered the second set of storage seals sewn there. Filling those seals had taken several long hours of 'negotiations' with his father, and despite the fact that they would work in theory he wasn't sure he would be able to control their contents adequately. He took a deep breath as he tracked his opponent and held both arms out in front of him, triggering the second set of seals with a small burst of chakra. There was a feeling of pressure as the seals unloaded and his sleeves bulged before a veritable river of tiny black bodies swarmed out around his hands. They fell to the surface of the bridge in an ever-expanding pool, their mass quickly surpassing Shino's own until they covered nearly half the space between Shino and his opponent, whose eyes had widened in surprise and fear at the sheer number of insects pouring forth. Even before the swarm had finished appearing he'd begun firing bolts of energy at both Shino and the new swarm, but the haphazard nature of his aiming allowed Shino to dodge the bolts while any part of the growing horde that was destroyed was almost instantly filled in by the incoming reinforcements.

"You couldn't touch me with your little bugs before; this just gives me more targets to shoots at." Shino raised an eyebrow a fraction at the taunt, but remained silent as the last of the seal's contents emptied out his sleeves. Unlike the hive currently inhabiting his body, these kikaichū were what his clan deemed 'defective': they lacked the same ability to follow sophisticated, continual commands that the normal kikaichū had, and thus were unsuitable for anything besides emergency breeding stock if something were to befall the normal hives. They grated against Shino's connection to his kikaichū, a crowd of screaming idiots compared to the normally smooth rapport he enjoyed with his hive, but they were coherent enough to follow simple, straightforward commands. Holding his own hive back, Shino sent the simplest command he could thing of along with a clear mental image of his opponent.

' _Consume'_ He directed at the swarm, backing the command with as much chakra as he could to get through to their underdeveloped minds, and felt a sense of relief when the swarm surged forward. The energy bolts were no longer coming towards Shino at all as his opponent's attention focused solely on his new implacable foe, and Shino used the momentary lull to pop a soldier pill in his mouth. He still had more than half his chakra reserves left, another advantage of using so many pre-made weapons instead of his clan's signature jutsu, but he wasn't entirely confidant in the swarm's ability to differentiate between the target he'd given them and his comrades. He wanted to be able to forcibly command the insects if it came to that, which would require as much chakra as he could draw up.

"Get off of me!" Came the shout as Shino saw the first edge of the swarm reach his opponent. For a moment Shino watched the nukenin try to brush the insects off his legs before running through several seals and slamming his hands together. Much like his companion he was soon covered in a visibly crackling aura that killed any of the kikaichū that came in contact with it. The victorious smile he wore as the first few waves of kikaichū died quickly faded as the swarm continued forward, uncaring of their lost members and implacable as the tide. Shino watched as the aura began to flicker, its energy expended into the bodies of hundreds of kikaichū without any sign of the swarm diminishing, until finally fading away to leave an utterly stunned shinobi. Before the now-exhausted man could do more than shoot a single, panicked look at Shino the swarm covered him utterly.

* * *

"I told you, fire that weak will do nothing to my mirrors." The voice seemed to come from all directions as the last remnants of Sasuke's fireball dissipated into the air. This was the third fireball he'd used and neither the masked shinobi nor his mirrors had suffered any visible damage from the attacks.

' _If I had the Sharingan this insignificant worm would be dead already!'_ Sasuke fumed internally as another barrage of senbon flashed from the mirrors. Though he would never admit it out loud it was only the training with Kakashi since his humiliating defeat by Ruto that kept him from being skewered by the incoming projectiles. He wasn't able to dodge them all, but by protecting his vital points he was able to avoid a crippling blow and the senbon themselves did little damage unless they hit a pressure point or nerve.

"Why don't you stop hiding in your little mirrors and face me, coward!" He shouted in frustration as a particularly painful needle embedded in his shoulder. The masked figure laughed, a particularly disconcerting sound coming from so many identical mouths.

"Coward? Maybe it _is_ cowardice to hide in my Kekkei Genkai, but you're ignoring one vital fact." Fists gripping numerous senbon rose in every mirror. "We're shinobi. If you want a fair fight, find a samurai." The derisive tone was accompanied by another shower of projectiles, some physical and some made of ice so cold it numbed wherever it hit. The ice senbon were worse in many ways, for though they numbed the area they hit slightly they also melted after embedding in his flesh, and the chakra-laced water stung his open wounds and sapped at his focus.

Sasuke glared at the incoming wave as he strained to time his counter perfectly, and at the last moment flashed the tiger sign and exhaled an unfocused wave of fire chakra while spinning in a circle. The technique, if such an unfocused and diffuse move could even be called that, surrounded him in superheated air that expanded outwards for just a moment before cooling and pushed away the senbon.

' _His timing is getting better'_ Haku mused from within the mirrors before something odd demanded more attention. ' _Are his eyes turning…red?"_

Despite his successful defense it was clear that the production of so much unfocused fire chakra had taken its toll on the Uchiha, and for some reason it seemed as if just standing there was draining his chakra. Things around him were beginning to glow in a strange, monochromatic way, and that couldn't be good. Sasuke grunted as he pulled his arms back into a defensive stance, looking around frantically for any way to get out of the death trap the mirrors had become.

Hidden inside one of the numerous mirrors created using the hyoton, Haku frowned behind the Kiri hunter-nin mask. The boy was quickly pushing himself into chakra exhaustion with his repeated use of the defensive fire technique, but his timing with them was becoming more and more precise with each iteration. Despite the boy's speed Haku had been noticeably the faster of the two at the beginning of their fight, but now he was reacting with a speed Haku would have been hard-pressed to match. As the last blooms of flame faded from another defensive fire wall Haku began to prepare more senbon, only to pause at the sight of the Uchiha's eyes.

' _The Sharingan!'_ Haku nearly fell out of the mirror in surprise. _That_ was why the boy had been getting faster; the constant attacks had allowed him to awaken a dormant bloodline! Thankfully Haku had managed to inflict a large amount of damage before the boy could utilize his eyes in any meaningful way, and with his chakra this low Haku was confident the fight would be over in relatively short order. Infusing more chakra than normal into the ice senbon, Haku began his assault, alternating the senbon so they came as a continual stream instead of one giant wave. Without the blanketing effect of the senbon 'waves' Sasuke was able to determine the best dodging method more easily and managed to avoid being hit for several second, but as the assault wore on the chakra exhaustion allowed more and more hits. Finally he was unable to get to his feet after throwing himself out of the way of several senbon, and he glared at the mirror hatefully as he watched the needles fly towards him.

Haku let out a small sigh of relief as Sasuke finally fell to his knees. Despite the rather large amount of holes the Uchiha already had riddling his body he'd managed to dodge Haku's assault for far longer than expected, and Haku had been getting nervous. Just before the senbon would have impaled the Uchiha, however, a wall of light-devouring darkness sprang up in front of him and halted the projectiles.

' _For the love of Kami- WHAT NOW!?'_ Haku seethed internally. At this rate the bridge-builder would die of old age before they got close to him.

The wall held for only a few seconds before dissolving into motes of drifting shadow, revealing a red-haired boy in a dark jacket standing next to the still-prone Uchiha.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here Kodama?" Sasuke rasped, causing Naruto to roll his eyes behind his glasses.

"Saving your ass, apparently." Naruto replied before snorting. "You look like a damn porcupine."

Sasuke just grunted at him before reaching over with a shaky hand and pulling a senbon from his arm with a slight wince. "I had things under control." He said sullenly. Naruto stared incredulously at the senbon-riddled Uchiha before shooting a glance at Haku.

"…I can see that." Naruto said dryly before making a familiar seal. A kage bunshin popped into existence next to them while the original pulled Sasuke's arm over his shoulder, ignoring the other boy's weak protests. "Unfortunately, we don't have time for you to play with the nice Hyoton user. Hinata's outside helping Kiba and Shino is trying to prevent a horde of hungry kikaichū from eating us all, so we need to leave." The identical figures in the surrounding mirrors raised their senbon threateningly at Naruto's words.

"You think I would let you leave so easily?" There was confidence and a bit of arrogance in the words, and Naruto smiled narrowly.

"Yep. Bye." He said with a wave before both boys seemed to flicker leaving Haku with 2 of the redheads insider the dome and the Uchiha nowhere to be found.

"Sacrificing yourself for an ally is admirable, but misguided in this case. You will not prevent me from killing the bridge builder." Haku called out, preparing to jump from the mirrors, and paused as both boys wore identical grins.

"Sacrificing ourselves is kinda what we do." One said with a cocky grin while they brought their hands up in a seal. The other one nodded in agreement.

"It's kind of in the job description." The second one added before giving an identical grin. "We do tend to make a splash when we go though. Daibakuha!" Before Haku could react both clones glowed bright white.

* * *

"Get your hands off me Kodama!" Sasuke said angrily as the _kawarimi_ pulled both boys from the dome of ice mirrors, and Naruto sighed as he let go of Sasuke. ' _would a "Thank you" be so much to ask?'_ Naruto thought as the Uchiha collapsed to the ground, already bracing himself for what he knew would come next. Just as Sasuke hit the ground there was a surge of chakra from the dome accompanied by a loud explosion and the sound of something shattering. Naruto grinned as the memories of his clones filtered through his mind and the dome collapsed. He turned to look at Hinata, currently helping Kiba with his opponent, and was just about to head over and assist them when he felt someone grab the front of his jacket and haul him around.

"Where did you learn that jutsu!?" Naruto's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise as Sasuke stared at him with slightly crazed eyes, their iris a blood red with a single tomoe swimming in each. When he didn't immediately answer Sasuke's question the other boy seemed to crack, and he began to shake Naruto roughly while screaming in his face.

"That's HIS jutsu, I'd know it anywhere! WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT TECHNIQUE!? WHERE IS HE?" spittle flew from Sasuke's lips onto Naruto's glasses, earning a disapproving glare for the Uchiha.

"Let go of me before I remove your hands Uchiha. Permanently." Sasuke completely ignored Naruto's warning, the crazed look in his eyes hinting to the madness underneath. Naruto was aware of Sasuke's unhealthy obsession with killing Itachi, but to assault a teammate in the middle of a battlefield…

Before Naruto could remove Sasuke's grip from his jacket he felt the tip of something sharp press against the center of his chest, and a vicious, almost animalistic snarl came from Sasuke.

"Tell me where he is Kodama." The Uchiha's voice was low and cold now, holding all the madness from before but condensed and focused. "or I will cut pieces off of you until you do."

Out of the corner of his eye a flash of movement caught Naruto's attention, and his attention wavered for a second in confusion as he saw the broken shards of the ice mirrors his bunshin daibakuha had destroyed shifting. A chain, hidden from view beneath his jacket, had already positioned itself unconsciously in front of Sasuke's kunai while Naruto's eyes narrowed, and when Sasuke tried to impatiently nudge him with the point he exploded into action. The chain whipped outwards in a circular motion that threw Sasuke several feet to the side just as the remnants of the ice mirrors rose and fused into a giant ice boulder. The resulting mass flew forwards with deceptive speed towards Naruto, who cursed when he realized that dodging the projectile would be headed straight towards where Kiba and, more importantly, Hinata were fighting. With an irritated huff he brought his right hand up, palm out towards the boulder, and fired a single chain.

Despite the chakra-reinforced nature of the boulder the chain punched right through the center, and a moment's concentration from Naruto had dozens of sub-chains expanding from the main body. The resulting pressure shattered the ice into thousands of stinging pieces that rained over the bridge in an impromptu hailstorm before Naruto heard a familiar cry of pain. His head whipped around just in time to see Hinata, who had apparently been distracted by a particularly sharp chip of ice, body-slammed by her opponent.

The world seemed to slow to a standstill as Hinata's body impacted on the ground several meters away, limbs twitching from her assailant's electrical aura for several seconds before she lay still. Naruto couldn't breathe as he stared at her still form, willing her to move or give him any sign that she was alright.

"Heh. Thanks for the assist kid." Raijū called out before sending a dark grin at Naruto, which faltered when the boy literally _growled_ at him. 'What the hell…' he muttered, and then everything went to hell.

* * *

Deep within Naruto's mindscape, the Kyuubi was experiencing something rather…unusual. For nearly a century he'd been trapped inside one human or another, and that was a VERY long time to spend doing nothing. He'd long ago gotten in the habit of 'hitchhiking' on his jailors' senses, and this had given him a sense of... _possession_ … when it came to the jinchuriki he was contained in. To him, they had committed the cardinal sin of imprisoning him, and that meant that if anyone was going to cause them pain or suffering, it would be _him_. Foxes being a rather covetous race, he didn't just consider Naruto his; everyone Naruto 'claimed' was under his jurisdiction as well, for was not the property of a lord sworn to his king also the purview of that king? So when he had seen, through Naruto's eyes, Raijū slamming into Hinata, he felt something he had not felt in a long time.

He felt irritation.

This was not the white-hot rage of imprisonment or the despair of being subverted by that Kami-be-damned Sharingan. Some insignificant mayfly of a being, some _mortal_ , had dared to damage that which the Kyuubi considered his to do with as he saw fit. And that would not do.

Through the seal he could feel Naruto's rage calling to his own chakra, like the lightest tug of a weak current, and instead of fighting it or ignoring it he _pushed_. Chakra, no more than a tiny drop of the sea he held but still more than most mortals could conceive of, flooded through the seal as he watched Naruto focus his gaze on Raijū.

' ** _He does not deserve to live'_** He pushed the thought out with his chakra, imprinting his feelings into the energy even as Naruto drew it around himself. ' ** _Show him the price of such IMPUDENCE. KILL HIM!'_**

Through his link to Naruto's senses he could see the boy's vision becoming tinted with red, and he smiled a vulpine grin.

 **"** **Excellent"**

* * *

Raijū had all of two seconds to wonder about the strange behavior the new boy was exhibiting before the pain started. The red chakra, so full of malice and hate that it made every depraved act he'd ever done seem like the height of propriety, had swirled around the boy like a cloak and seemed to seep from his very pores, and Raijū took an unconscious step back as a trickle of unease penetrated his normally happy-go-lucky demeanor. Deciding that the best defense was a good offense, he pumped as much chakra as he could into his lightning shroud in preparation for a charge when a forest of chains _sprouted_ from the growling boy faster than he could follow. He had a fraction of a second to put up his arms in a frantic defense before the chains reached him, and there was a curiously small amount of pain when they did. Instead, it felt like being punched, _hard,_ in half a dozen areas at once. There was a brief hope that maybe he'd avoided any serious injuries, but the moment he looked down he knew that was not the case.

' _I look like a damn puppet'_ Raijū's last coherent thought came as he stared at the chains piercing his body. The transparent, slightly glowing links connected his body to Naruto's in a macabre imitation of a puppet show, and Raijū gave a blood-tinged smile at the inappropriate thought as he looked over and met red, slit-pupil eyes. Then there was blinding pain as he felt the chains move apart in one quick motion, and a moment later what was left of Raijū was scattered across the bridge in a gory shower.

* * *

Disguised and hidden inside a piece of shattered ice, a trembling Haku stared in horror as Raijū was viciously dismembered by the red-haired boy. The brutality of it was bad enough, though Raijū had never been the most pleasant of allies to be around, but the aura around his killer was enough to have her literally unable to move. Nothing, not even Zabuza in his most bloodthirsty rage, had ever come close to emitting this much killing intent. Hell, it couldn't even really be _called_ killing intent, rather an expression of absolute inevitability. There was no doubt in Haku's mind that, should she be stupid enough to try and fight this monster, she would die; probably quickly and most definitely painfully. So she stayed hidden, and hoped to Kami that the monster would move on, and that Zabuza would not find himself under that terrifying red-eyed gaze.

* * *

Farther up the bridge, all three combatants paused in their standoff as they felt the rising wave of malice-tainted chakra coming from down the bridge. Shōjō looked thoughtfully at his trident's aura as he compared the new chakra to his favorite weapon, and a light frown creased his features as he realized the similarities between the two. He didn't know exactly how the smiths of Uzushiogakure had imbued the Akuma no Fuhai with its trademark poisonous chakra, but the idea of anything else mimicking his weapon (or vice versa) was irritating. He made a mental note to find and crush whatever it was that was making that chakra after he dealt with the two annoyances before him.

Kurenai was trying her hardest to keep any shaking from showing as memories of the Kyuubi attack surfaced again. She still remembered that night with painful clarity; the feeling of oppressive _malice_ coming from far off, yet so strong as to immobilize any without a strong enough will, and her parents placing her with the rest of the young genin while they went off to fight the worst threat Konoha had ever known. Gone and never come back. She risked a quick worried glance down the bridge and sent a single silent plea to the heavens for both her favorite student and the boy that meant so much to Hinata. ' _Kami, please let the seal hold.'_

Kakashi felt the chakra flare from down the bridge but kept his attention firmly fixed on the man in front of him. He had known Naruto for many years; first as a boy running circles around ANBU at an age most could barely be bothered with anything besides their next meal or toy, then as a trainee with more potential than any he'd ever seen, full of mystery and training from an unknown source, and finally as a genin with power difficult to comprehend and yet masterfully controlled. He knew the drive and purpose his sensei's son exhibited every day, and he knew _exactly_ how strong Naruto's will was. He had lived with the most powerful bijuu in the world sealed inside him from the day he was born, resisted every temptation to use its power and become someone Kakashi was proud to have had a hand in raising, however small. If anyone could face darkness like the Kyuubi and come out the other side, it was Naruto.

* * *

The rational part of Naruto's mind knew he was in trouble the moment the red chakra had begun to leak from his body like a bloody waterfall, but at the moment the animalistic part of his brain had taken over utterly. There were no thoughts of consequences or of hiding his identity and powers; Hinata, the one person in his life he trusted utterly and without any reservations, had been injured, and he would do anything to make sure it didn't happen again. _Couldn't_ happen again.

The chains hung around him like a waiting hydra as he looked for more targets, struggling against the rage both inside and around him that wanted to rip and tear into everything around him. He saw Kiba, Akamaru trembling and hiding behind the Inuzuka's legs, staring at him with a mix of wonder and fear, and forced his eyes to move on. ' _Ally_ ' He thought, and even his mental voice had a growling undertone to it. As he turned to look at Hinata his eyes caught Sasuke's, and the sight of his activated Sharingan sent a wave of almost overwhelming anger through him along with a sharp pain in his right eye. Unconsciously his lips rose to expose elongated fangs that would make an Inuzuka jealous and a deep growl rumbled up from his chest. The chains around him began to wave back and forth agitatedly, small sub-chains appearing and disappearing by the second as his gaze bored into the Uchiha. Sasuke's eyes widened in confusion and fear as he stumbled back on his hands and knees, his Sharingan deactivating in shock as he moved. As soon as the red faded from his irises the rage fell back to a manageable level for Naruto, and he turned away from Sasuke and walked towards Hinata.

He approached the down Hyuuga fearfully, his chains gently snaking out in order to turn her on her back as he looked for any sign of life. As the outer edges of the red chakra cloak came near her Hinata shifted uncomfortably and let out a pained sound, causing Naruto to pause as he let out a relieved breath. She was alive, and that was all that mattered at the moment. ' _Even if I can't get near her_ ' He thought morosely. The moment he'd stepped back her pained expression had eased, making it abundantly clear that the red chakra around him was painful for her. The sound of footsteps pulled Naruto's attention from Hinata's unconscious form as Shino calmly walked toward him, coming to stop several meters away from him.

"Ruto-san?" Only long years of association allowed Naruto to hear the apprehension in Shino's voice, and he felt a pang of guilt at scaring one of his few friends.

" **It's still me Shino.** " The power running through him gave Naruto's voice a growling, demonic quality, but Shino apparently trusted him enough to overlook the strange chakra around him.

"Is she alright?" Shino asked, gesturing to the unconscious Hinata. Naruto's face twisted into a pained expression before he answered.

" **She's alive, but beyond that I don't know."** Naruto lowered his head his voice fell to a near whisper as he stared at the ground. " **I can't get near her. My chakra hurts her.** "

"You defeated her opponent before he could do any more damage. That you cannot heal her yourself is immaterial. I will look after her until Kurenai-sensei can perform first aid." Shino said with a surprising amount of force. Naruto's head snapped up to stare at the Aburame before shooting him a grateful smile. That Shino didn't flinch at his more bestial features only made him that much more grateful.

Before he could say anything more the chakra around Naruto began to undulate wildly, and he became aware of a familiar but… _corrupted_ …presence farther up the bridge. It felt similar to the Kyuubi's chakra currently surrounding him, but somehow _wrong_. Like milk gone bad.

" **I have to go. Are the senseis up the bridge?** " Shino nodded as he moved to Hinata's side, and Naruto turned towards the strange feeling. " **Take care of Hinata** " He added unnecessarily, and was gone.

* * *

Keeping his attention split between the feeling of the Kyuubi's chakra coming nearer, his opponent, and finally the Akuma no Fuhai was beginning to take its toll on Kakashi. Shōjō himself was not as much of a threat as Kakashi had initially thought; he was skilled, but only as much as a particularly good chunin or a new jonin. For someone used to sparring against Gai whenever he couldn't come up with a good enough excuse, someone of Shōjō's level should have been fairly easy to deal with. Truthfully, the majority of the problem came from his trident.

Kakashi didn't know all the powers of the Akuma no Fuhai, it having been lost long ago and even then was rarely used, but what he had seen so far was enough to garner a healthy respect for the weapon. Everything that came into contact with the corrupted aura around its three tines turned black and began to crumble like rotting wood, the contagion spreading not just to the point of impact but for several meters around it. In addition to that formidable ability, the weapons also seemed to be attracted to any chakra source around it: the one time Kakashi had thought to try and rush Shōjō with a raikiri he had nearly lost his hand to the trident, which had moved seemingly of its own volition to intercept the visible mass of lightning-natured chakra in his palm. With the genjutsu Kurenai had used to disable Zabuza taking such a large toll on her reserves Kakashi was effectively facing Shōjō alone, and with the trident nullifying his most powerful attack he was at something of a loss even before he felt the Kyuubi's chakra approaching.

"More annoying little ants coming to the picnic?" Shōjō mused as the chakra came closer before breaking into a wry grin. "At least I can get rid of that pathetic imitator." The Akuma no Fuhai seemed to vibrate slightly, its chakra shroud pulsing as if in agreement with its wielder.

' _You have no idea what's coming for you_ ' Kakashi thought with grim satisfaction as he threw a handful of shuriken at Shōjō, forcing the nukenin to manually block the projectiles instead of relying on the trident's chakra-seeking abilities. At the rate he was going Naruto, and Kakashi had to believe it was Naruto in control, would be there in less than a minute. Kakashi wanted Shōjō to focus as much attention on him as possible to give Naruto the best chance for an opening strike as possible.

Kakashi's wish was granted as Shōjō scowled at the deflected projectiles and pulled his arm back in a quick movement before blurring forward and launching his trident towards Kakashi again. Kakashi's sharingan tracked the weapon's path with ease, but unlike the previous times Shōjō had thrown the weapon it veered to the side as it approached Kakashi, slamming into the ground almost two meters to his right. Both Kakashi and Shōjō had a moment of confusion at the odd behavior before the trident's aura flared larger than ever before and moved seemingly of its own accord, whipping back to Shōjō before colliding with a red-shrouded form that had appeared seemingly from nowhere.

 _'_ _The corruption!'_ Kakashi thought frantically as he recognized Naruto amidst the demonic chakra surrounding him, one now-clawed hand gripping the middle tine of the Akuma no Fuhai. Shōjō's shocked expression at Naruto's swift arrival turned into a smirk as the aura around the trident came in contact with Naruto, only to turn awed as the cloak around Naruto seemed to flare even higher and push back the trident's aura. There was a loud screeching sound as the aura was stripped away from the tines, and Shōjō pulled the trident back frantically while Naruto simply let the weapon go. As the trident returned to its wielder Kakashi saw several light score-marks on the weapon from where it had come in contact with Naruto's claws, and couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear. Anything that could scratch that legendary weapon was not to be underestimated.

Shōjō looked down at the lines on his weapon with wide eyes before the aura sputtered back to full strength, his relief palpable even as he turned an angry glare at Naruto.

"And what the hell are you supposed to be? Some kind of failed Inuzuka?" Shōjō taunted, his equilibrium returning with the Akuma's corrupting aura. Naruto ignored the jibe as he glanced around the bridge, taking in the unconscious Zabuza and an obviously exhausted Kurenai before landing on Kakashi. For a long moment he held Kakashi's gaze, red slit-pupil eyes at first holding nothing of the boy the jonin had known, before some spark of recognition returned and Kakashi saw Naruto, buried but present.

 **"** **Are you the one who sent those thugs after the bridge builder?"** The demonic chakra surrounding Naruto combined with his voice sent shivers down Kakashi's spine but Shōjō just shrugged, confidant in his weapon's superiority.

"It was business, kid. We have to eat just like everybody else." There was no trace of emotion in his voice, only apparently honest confusion over Naruto's question. Naruto's eyes narrowed at his response as half a dozen chains silently extended from behind his back.

 **"** **Not anymore you don't."**

With one large motion Naruto threw his body into a chakra-enhanced leap that took him high above the bridge. At the apex of his leap he spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture, and all six chains darted from behind his back towards Shōjō like hunting snakes. Shōjō quickly threw his weapon into a defensive spin that deflected the incoming attacks to the sides, but as soon as the chains went off target they turned and darted back towards the nukenin in a sinuous pattern. As Kakashi watched one of the chains managed to sneak through the defensive pattern Shōjō was using and sliced along his shoulder leaving a long gash, but to his surprise there was no indication of the Akuma no Fuhai tracking the chains themselves.

' _Of course'_ Kakashi mused as he watched another chain slip by the trident, almost spearing Shōjō before he noticed. ' _The chains let off almost no ambient chakra. If the Akuma no Fuhai tracks attacks by their chakra 'leakage', the chains would be basically invisible.'_ Accustomed as he was to tracking Naruto's chains with his non-sharingan eye, Kakashi had almost forgotten how well the chains blocked chakra emissions, even their own.

As yet another chain managed to make it through to scratch Shōjō he began to lose his temper, and for the first time Kakashi saw him using an attack other than his trident.

 _"_ _Suiton: Teppōdama"_ Shōjō yelled as he made a quick tiger seal and spat several high-speed balls of water at Naruto. As Naruto was still falling towards the ground from his initial high leap he was unable to dodge the bullets, but as sthe jutsu hit the chakra shroud around Naruto it evaporated with a loud sizzling noise, the leftover force barely pushing Naruto back at all. Naruto used the momentary opening caused by Shōjō's technique to make a familiar cross seal as his chains multiplied exponentially and darted towards his opponent. Despite his reliance on his spear Shōjō had not held his own against Kakashi for nothing, and though several of the shadow chains pierced him he managed to avoid any fatal or crippling hits. When the chakra making up the chains dissipated a moment later Shōjō was still on his feet, albeit bleeding from several punctures and breathing heavily.

"You little bastard." He spat out before whipping his trident in a powerful sweep around him, dislodging the real chains still embedded in the bridge and tearing up much of the stone around him. "You want to play in the big leagues? Fine." Shōjō whipped the head of the Akuma no Fuhai in front of him while his other hand made several one-handed seals

' _One-handed seals? But that would lower the power of the jutsu unless…'_ Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized what Shōjō was going to do, his body moving almost unconsciously as he ran towards Shōjō.

" _Suiton:_ _Doku Hahonryu!"_ Before Kakashi could cover more than half the distance between Shōjō and himself a violently rotating ball of water formed in the hand not holding his trident, and was quickly thrust through the malevolent aura surrounding the weapon's tines. To Kakashi's sharingan it seemed as if the chakra in the water picked up the same hue as the chakra around the trident, and the glowing ball of turbulent spinning water crossed the space between Shōjō and Naruto in the blink of an eye. Kakashi watched worriedly as the water slammed into the chakra shroud around Naruto and kept going, although slower than before and missing much of its chakra, impacting Naruto's chest and throwing the genin back across the bridge.

Enraged by the attack on his student Kakashi started forming handsigns as the water around him began to take shape, but before the jutsu could complete the Akuma no Fuhai moved of its own accord and slammed into the water in front of Kakashi, the force of its embedding throwing him from his feet to the ground. As Kakashi groaned and tried to pull himself back to his feet, he saw Shōjō standing over a prone Naruto, trident raised.

"Looks like you're not that tough after all." Shōjō said, wiping a small trickle of blood off his forehead with his off-hand as he raised his trident. The toll of using his sharingan for so long in addition to the high-powered techniques he'd done had Kakashi's reserves nearly spent, and he could only watch as his sharingan slowed the trident's descent down to a crawl. Just before the middle tine reached Naruto's chest, however, the stone underneath Shōjō's feet seemed to shatter into hundreds of shards as a multitude of chains burst up from below and speared his feet and lower legs. The nukenin, distracted as he was by the damage to his lower body, failed to notice the previously prone Naruto suddenly reach out and grab the arm holding his trident in a vice-like grip before smiling darkly.

 **"** **This tough enough?"** Came the demonic voice as the red aura around him intensified tenfold before detonating in a burst of blinding light. Kakashi was forced to close both eyes as the physical light combined with the extreme level of chakra threatened to blind both eyes, and even as the blast died away he was still blinking floating lights from his shocked eyes. As his vision returned Kakashi could just make out Naruto, his aura barely a red outline now, standing in the crater that marked the point of detonation for what Kakashi recognized as a Bunshin Daibakuha. He looked around for a moment before finding the broken figure of Shōjō a distance away, the Akuma no Fuhai several lengths away from his body still gripped in his now-disembodied hand.

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

The sound of someone applauding echoed in the sudden silence drawing their attention to the unfinished edge of the bridge, drawing the attention of everyone still standing.

"You know, I have to say I'm honestly impressed." The man speaking was short, barely five feet tall with a shock of grey hair and dark glasses covering his eyes. "I always thought you shinobi were all hype, but damn if that little brat didn't nearly make me piss my pants. Too bad he's all played out." The man, who Kakashi could only assume was Gato by his stature, smirked as the last of the red chakra around Naruto faded into nothing. Though he managed to stay upright as it dissipated, Kakashi caught a slight waver from the boy and suspected he was almost exhausted by using the Kyuubi's chakra.

"And what exactly are you doing here?" Kakashi called out as he discretely signaled Kurenai. "Last I checked you already hired a couple 'all hype' shinobi to do your dirty work for you. I didn't take you for the kind of man to get his own hands dirty." Kakashi grimaced imperceptibly as he took stock of the men surrounding Gato. Though none of them looked much better than common thugs, there were a lot of them and he was running on fumes from the combination of high-powered jutsu and long term sharingan use. His best bet at this point was to stall and wait for Naruto's impressive regeneration to kick in and even things up a bit.

"Normally I'm not, but I had a bone to pick with that little masked dog of Zabuza's" Gato's expression darkened as he ran a hand over his forearm. "Besides, have you ever seen how _expensive_ shinobi are!? I could hire a small army for what Zabuza and Shōjō wanted. Much easier just to have them do the dirty work and take them out when they're done." There was a smattering of chuckles as the thugs around him echoed his laughter before Gato raised his cane. "Much as I'm enjoying our little chat, I'm a busy man and I still have a bitch to find and kill." The first line of men had just stepped forward with an eager air when the sound of metal scraping across stone drew their attention, leaving Gato scowling.

"You might want to make sure I'm actually dead before you start threatening my subordinate." For some reason the absolute ice in his tone unnerved Kakashi more than his taunting in the mist had during their fight. He could practically _feel_ the killing intent rolling off of Zabuza in a wave as he stared down the men in front of Gato, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw Kurenai putting away a familiar vial of pills after downing one herself.

' _I wanted her to wake him up, not send him into a murderous rage. How many soldier pills did she give him!?'_ Kakashi thought as Zabuza hoisted his blade. The crowd around Gato hesitated in the face of the giant cleaver and the abundance of killing intent radiating, and the business magnate's face went red in anger.

"What the hell are you idiots waiting for?" Gato yelled at his men before pointing his cane at Zabuza. "He's just one man! Kill him!" His shouting broke the spell holding the men in place, and they began to charge him en-masse while shouting to ward off their momentary fear. Kakashi glanced at Naruto before shaking his head a fraction to hold him back; he was still recovering, and the time Zabuza's anger would buy them would be better spent recuperating than fighting in less than top shape.

Naruto's concern appeared misplaced, however, as the first line of men came within range of Zabuza. With a deceptively lazy swing of the massive cleaver Zabuza broke through the guards of the surprised thugs, their shoddy blades and spears barely slowing the Kubikiribōchō on its circular journey. The front line collapsed like a row of puppets with their strings cut, and the second line began to panic as the men behind them forced them closer to the giant cleaver's range. As another exaggerated slice of the giant blade ripped a long swathe through the men Gato signaled to a small group that had stayed in a rough circle around him, his irritation making the motion sharp and erratic. Four of those apparently guarding him nocked arrows in simple shortbows and waited for the end of Zabuza's next swing, then loosed a barrage of arrows just as Zabuza committed to another swing. Despite the din of combat Zabuza heard the twang of the bowstrings and immediately tracked the incoming arrows, but before he could take any action against them a thin wall of ice intercepted all four arrows and sent them clattering down onto the bridge.

"I thought I told you to go with those two idiots and kill the bridge builder." Zabuza growled at the newly-arrived figure next to him.

"Raijū and Guhin are dead and the bridge-builder is too well protected now to get to." Haku's responded in a matter-of-fact tone, ignoring Zabuza's glare. She patently avoided mentioning her fear of what Naruto would do to Zabuza in his enraged state, nor that it had pushed her to find her surrogate father/superior and reassure herself that he was still alright after his chakra had disappeared and then reappeared. Zabuza held his sharp look for only a few moments before almost lazily decapitating a pair of incoming swordsman and shrugging.

"Eh, it's for the best I guess. The worm wasn't going to pay us anyways, apparently." The line of attackers was now halted warily at the edge of the Kubikiribōchō's range, their numbers cut by nearly a quarter in just a few minutes. Not even Gato's angry yelling could convince them to come within the cleaver's range, and their cowardice and generally ineptitude insulted Zabuza almost as much as Gato's betrayal had; at least with Gato he'd half expected the double-cross, but these idiots had the gall to attack him with such pathetic skills!? He gave the nervously milling crowd one more dismissive glance before locking his gaze on Gato.

"Haku, deal with these idiots. Gato and I need to have a _chat_." The last was said with anticipation and malice.

"As you wish, Zabuza-sama." Haku replied, falling back into the familiar cadence of their superior/subordinate relationship as she quickly ran through a series of hand seals. Zabuza took a half step backwards and moved his sword into a two-handed grip that left the blade trailing behind him as his apprentice crafted her jutsu, and as the last hand seal was made he sent chakra to his legs and darted forward faster than the hired thugs could react. Behind him Haku intoned ' _Hyoton: Ken Kusa'_ as a field of two inch high blades of ice rose from the bridge behind him, and he smirked as he heard the screams of the trash as their feet were skewered. He knew most of them would probably fall as the pain disrupted their footing, and in falling they would be skewed by even more of the ice blades.

' _And yet she always insists that I'M the sadistic one'_ He thought as he came upon the circle of guards around Gato. While they were probably slightly better than the ones sent against him before, compared to a former member of the Seven Swordsman they might as well have been paper cutouts. In less than two seconds Gato was alone in front of an angry Zabuza, blood splattering his expensive suit and drawing attention away from the growing wet spot in the front of his pants.

"Z-Zabuza, we can work this out!" The magnate stuttered as the nukenin stared at him impassively, his expression mostly hidden behind a layer of wrapped bandages. When Zabuza said nothing Gato's fear increased even more. "I'll pay you double what we agreed on!" Zabuza took a single step. "Ten times! I'll make you the richest shinobi in the elemental nations!" Tears were running down Gato's face now as Zabuza came to a stop, and for a moment Gato's normal confidence fluttered to the surface again.

' _Everyone has their price!'_ Was the second to last thing to go through Gato's head, right before the Kubikiribōchō bisected him from crown to sole.


	10. Chapter 9: Boxes

**A/N: As always I don't own anything but the plotline and/or unique ideas here.**

 **Chapter 9: Boxes**

"So it was Zabuza that killed Gato?" Hiruzen asked the two Jonin still in his office.

"Yes, although the majority of the hired swords were dispatched by the Hyoton user, Haku." Kakashi's drawled back, but the lack of his trademark orange book gave voice to how serious he was at the moment.

"And the other nukenin?" Hiruzen looked up from the written report in front of him expressionlessly, and not for the first time the Jonin in front of him grimaced.

"Dead, except for Haku." Kurenai stepped in, her eyes shadowed as she remembered her Genin's recounting of Naruto's brutality, not to mention her own memories of Shōjō's death. "Shino took care of one, while Naruto took care of both the other two sent after Tazuna and Shōjō himself. Using the Bunshin Daibakuha." The question in her voice was blatantly apparent, but neither man answered.

"And what of Zabuza and Haku? What happened to them afterwards?' Hiruzen filled the uncomfortable silence and Kakashi gratefully answered.

"They left for Kirigakure and the rebels. After Gato's death they had no reason to go after the bridge builder and at the time both Kurenai and I were in…less than optimal condition after our fight with Shōjō. I didn't want to risk a fight with someone of Zabuza's caliber." Hiruzen nodded before picking up an unmarked scroll, weighing it in his hand as if trying to judge the contents.

"And what of this? Did you find any clues about how it came to be in the possession of a nukenin?"

"No." Kakashi's face darkened behind his mask. "Shōjō had nothing on him that would explain his possession of the weapon, and Zabuza did not know."

The Hokage was silent for several minutes as he stared thoughtfully at the scroll holding one of the most dangerous relics in the world, one that by righs should belong to a boy not six months out of the academy.

' _What to do…'_

With an almost-imperceptible rising of his eyebrows the Hokage pulled his thoughts back to the present and the two Jonin.

"This mission went above and beyond the stated description, and you've both done well to take your teams through it without serious injuries." Kurenai's eyes narrowed as she remembered Hinata's injuries. It had taken the girl almost three days to recover enough to travel even with her ministrations, and even afterwards her ribs were still tender. "I'm assigning both teams pay for an A-rank mission. Give your Genin my congratulations on a job well done." Kakashi kept the whistle from escaping his lips. He'd expected B-rank pay at best, even if the mission was in borderline A-rank territory. This would be a significant chunk of change for his team.

Kurenai took the implied dismissal and left the room quickly thereafter, but Kakashi needed no signal to know to stay behind. There were consequences to this mission, consequences that could send shockwaves through more than just his team. Both men sat in silence as the sun began its slow descent behind the Hokage monument, and it was not until the first rays touched the top of the Shodaime's head that the silence was broken.

"He was forced to use them?" Hiruzen asked without taking his eyes off the setting sun.

"And his… _tenant's_ power." There was fear in Kakashi's voice then, not just from what he'd seen and felt on the bridge, but also for the safety of his student. Hiruzen whipped his head around to stare wide-eyed at Kakashi.

"The seal, did it…" Hiruzen couldn't even bring himself to contemplate that terrible possibility, but Kakashi rushed to reassure him nevertheless.

"The seal is fine." The ex-ANBU didn't fail to notice the sigh of relief from the elder Hokage. "I don't even think it cracked. But he was able to access its power, and use it to augment his own." Kakashi hesitated before continuing, the memory of Naruto's emotionless recounting of Raijū death flashing through his mind. "He defeated a Hyoton user I'd place around Chunin-level without help, but as soon as he used _its_ chakra he didn't just defeat the other Chunin, he slaughtered him. And his fight against Shojo… the Kongō Fūsa might be a natural counter to the Akuma no Fuhai, but there were so _many_ of them."

"But he was in control?" Came Hiruzen's strained query.

"Definitely." Kakashi didn't hesitate. "But that brings up another problem. My team saw everything, as did Kurenai's."

Hiruzen nodded sadly as he turned back towards the fading light. "There's not much we can do about that, and we knew it would come out at some point. Sooner or later he was going to come across someone who forced him to use the Kongō Fūsa to survive, and then …" Kakashi nodded in agreement, but both men were thinking the same thing as they cursed those foolish enough to lie about the danger levels of a mission.

' _I thought we'd have more time.'_

Hiruzen was lost in thought as the sun dipped lower behind the monument, and the shadows were long in his office when he finally let out a long sigh and turned to Kakashi, his eyes resolute.

"I know we both wanted more time, but unfortunately we just don't have it." He reached into the top right drawer of his desk for a moment before retrieving several sets of paper, which he then handed to Kakashi. The Jonin stared at the papers uncomprehendingly for several seconds before his head whipped up to stare at the Hokage, his one visible eye wide with shock.

"You can't be serious! They've been shinobi for less than six months and you want to recommend them for the exams!? They'll be slaughtered!" Thankfully Hiruzen had had the forethought to activate the sound seals on his office when Kurenai left, but the volume still irritated his ears.

"We don't have a choice Kakashi!" A small flash of KI followed his exclamation, silencing the younger shinobi and firmly capturing his attention. "Genin may be ninja, but their rights are severely limited." Hiruzen started, taking a long draw from his pipe to center himself. "And my power isn't absolute, not if enough of the council works together against me. If his identity gets out now there are just too many ways certain _people_ can interfere with his life and freedom, and they'll never let him reach Chunin if the truth gets out. This might be the last exam we can get him into under the radar, and once he makes Chunin he's legally an adult. That means fewer options to gain control over him, and things get bad as a Chunin he can take one of the seats waiting for him on the council to gain more protection.

"They're not ready." Kakashi said stubbornly, but the Hokage just snorted.

"Kakashi, he was ready two years ago, and from what you said Sasuke might be ready now. I know the Haruno girl isn't Chunin material, but with the exams in Konoha this time we have our best chance to make sure nothing permanent happens to her. And frankly, from what you've said I'm not sure your team will _ever_ be ready for these exams." Kakashi scowled behind his mask but didn't refute the point. With great reluctance he folded the exam entry forms and placed them in his vest pocket.

"You know there's a chance someone from the other villages might recognize him during the exams." Kakashi said in a low voice. Hiruzen gave a small nod and drew deeply on his pipe before answering, using his chakra to shape the exhaled smoke into a variety of shapes as he considered his answer.

"Iwa isn't sending any teams, and relations with Kumo are still strained enough that the chances of them sending one are low." As he mentioned each village the smoke he exhaled took the shape of their symbol. "The other villages didn't have much contact with Minato or the Uzumaki. With a little luck we should be alright." This had Kakashi snorting derisively.

"With the way our luck's been going lately I wouldn't be surprised if the Tsuchikage himself showed up to demand Naruto's head during the finals."

"You seem confident he'll make it to the finals." Hiruzen observed with a smile, and for the first time since entering the Hokage's office Kakashi allowed a small smile of his own.

"Finals? He'll sweep the whole thing." The Hokage could only dip his head in agreement.

* * *

High in one of the great trees just beyond the gates of Konoha Naruto sate on a branch and looked out over the village he'd called home for the last few years. His eyes were unfocused, barely registering what he saw in the late afternoon light as he absently contorted a chain in his hands.

 _'_ _Everything changes now.'_ He thought, slightly morose. While he'd originally seen the 'mask' of Ruto Kodama as a necessary evil to exist in the village safely, he'd come to enjoy his time as a nameless nobody. He had friends, even a few close ones, and he'd even managed to build a sort of cordial relationship with more than one clan (although it could be said that the Hyuuga were only friendly towards him because of his actions as Naruto Uzumaki, not Ruto Kodama). Now, with his Kongō Fūsa revealed, he could almost feel the tenability of Ruto fading away. Naruto might not have participated in the gossip some of the academy students seemed so fond of, but he wasn't naïve enough to think his secret would be kept for long. Sakura would tell Ino, who would tell...well everyone, honestly. It wouldn't take long for the more astute members of the village to associate a known Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai with the boy that had shown up out of nowhere, records stating otherwise or not, and then the hatred and fear would start up again.

The sound of someone coming up the side of the tree broke Naruto from his musings, and he realized with a start that it was nearly sunset. The familiar feel of the approaching chakra had him retracting the chains he'd reflexively manifested, and he didn't need to look over to recognize Hizashi sitting next to him on the branch.

"Thank you for saving my niece's life." He said after a while, still looking out over Konoha.

"If I hadn't blown up the ice dome she never would have been distracted, never let her guard down. I- "

"That's not what I was talking about, though I am grateful for that as well. I'm talking about saving her from herself." Hizashi took a deep breath and looked down before speaking again, his eyes shadowed.

"Hinata…she's never had the best temperament for a shinobi. There's too much of her mother in her for the kind of heartless work we do, too much kindness."

Naruto thought back to the way he'd seen Hinata dispatch the mercenaries in Nami and he winced, thinking of the cold look in her normally expressive eyes. As he hunched further into himself Hizashi gripped his shoulder strongly and forced Naruto to face him.

"I've seen what happens to people like Hinata when they're forced to kill, Ruto. Seen it eat at them until they're nothing but husks of themselves, or tortured them until they take their own life. The life of a shinobi is not for the weak, but that doesn't mean that kindness is impossible for us. I don't know exactly what you said to Hinata, and frankly it doesn't really matter in the long run. What matters is that you helped her find a modicum of peace with her actions, with the life she's chosen. And for that I'll always be in your debt."

Naruto fought back the sudden dampness in his eyes as they sat high above the village in silence, the weight he'd felt crushing down on him since Nami easing just a bit as he absorbed Hizashi's words. When Hizashi silently made his way down the trunk and back to the village Naruto decided to stay in the branches that night, but his sleep was untroubled for the first time in many days.

* * *

After the unexpected ferocity of the mission to Nami both teams were given several days off to recuperate, and it was during this time that Kakashi presented his team with the sign-up forms for the upcoming Chunin Exams. While he phrased it as something they could back out of if they wanted to, Naruto could see the tension in Kakashi when he handed them the forms, and he guessed that the exams were not something he should miss. Despite that assumption he was more than a little troubled by the idea of cooperating with the rest of his team, especially with their attitude towards him after the fight on the bridge. Sakura was quieter than normal, avoiding Naruto during their off hours and not meeting his eyes when they were forced to talk, but he would almost have preferred that to Sasuke's dogged pursuit. They had barely been back in the village an hour before the last Uchiha had cornered him and started demanding answers.

 _Hearing his name shouted from behind had Naruto pausing his setup in one of the open training grounds surrounding Konoha, and he had to suppress a groan as he turned to find Sasuke staring at him with hard eyes._

 _"_ _Can I help you, Uchiha?" He asked mildly, already sure of what would be asked._

 _"_ _Where did you learn the Bunshin Daibakuha?" Sasuke's tone made it more of a demand than a question, and out here with nobody around Naruto was less inclined to return insult with politeness._

 _"_ _Shinobi are entitled to their secrets. You don't see me asking where you learned the fireball technique, do you?" Naruto replied with a slightly mocking undertone. He turned to the post he'd been tacking a target on to but heard the sound of approaching footsteps almost as soon as his back was turned. The sound of cloth rustling as Sasuke reached towards him was almost painfully loud to his sensitive ears, and he felt a moment of petty satisfaction as a length of chain snaked from under the hem of his shirt to wrap around Sasuke's hand before he could touch Naruto._

 _"_ _I told you on the bridge that I would remove your hands if you continued touching me, Uchiha." There was something refreshing about not hiding his Kekkei Genkai after so long, and the flash of confusion and fear he saw in Sasuke's eyes as he slowly turned to face the other boy was gratifying in a vicious, primal way._

 _"_ _What the hell is this, dobe? Let go of me!" His eyes were red, and Naruto smiled slightly. He knew that to an active sharingan his chains were almost invisible._

 _A barely conscious effort of will quickly uncurled the chain from Sasuke's wrist before the same length was used to unceremoniously shove the other boy several steps backwards._

 _"_ _Not everyone flaunts their gifts, Sasuke. Some of us actually act like shinobi once in a while."_

 _Before he could respond Naruto had retraced the chain he'd used on Sasuke and used a simple substitution to disappear from the clearing. Standing hidden in the top of one of the trees ringing the training ground he watched with a smirk as Sasuke let out a frustrated growl and stomped his foot petulantly before storming out of the clearing._

He'd taken great pains not to be caught alone with Sasuke after that, spending most of his time either in public or around Shino and Hinata to avoid another confrontation, at least until Team 8 left for a short-term escort mission several days ago. He had taken to sitting atop the wall's next to Konoha's main gates when he wasn't training, and as such was the first to notice the group approaching the village from the northeast. A wide smile split his face as the group drew closer and he recognized Team 8, and by the time they passed through the gates guarding the entrance to Konoha he had dropped down off the wall to meet them.

"You're back! Did everything go…what happened?" Naruto's smile fell away as he noticed the tension in the group. Kiba's hands were clenching and unclenching as Akamaru looked at every shadow like it was about to ambush them, and he could actually _hear_ Shino's hive buzzing from several feet away. Kurenai had a worried look on her face as she glanced at Naruto, but the worst was Hinata. One glance told Naruto that the mask she'd worn in Nami was back in full force, and Naruto flinched slightly as she looked at him expressionlessly.

"Hinata? Are you ok?" Naruto asked hesitantly, his eyes drawn to a new crescent-shaped scar under her left eye. For several seconds Hinata just stared at him without saying anything, her eyes blank and lost, before something cracked and tears began to fill the corners.

"Could I ask you to take Hinata home while we give the Hokage our report Ruto? It's been a…stressful few days." Naruto nodded and moved next to Hinata, his eyes narrowing as she began to cry silently. As the rest of Team 8 moved off towards the Hokage Tower he lightly touched Hinata's shoulder and was surprised when she turned and threw her arms around his neck. He could feel the front of his shirt growing damp as she buried her face into his chest, but despite her obvious distress she made not a single sound.

"C'mon Hinata, let's get you home." Naruto murmured in a soothing voice as he slowly led the Hyuuga heiress away from the front gate. About halfway to the Hyuuga compound Hinata managed to pull herself away from Naruto and assume something approaching the 'proper' Hyuuga decorum, but she said nothing to Naruto beyond a much subdued 'thank you'. He'd simply nodded and lightly squeezed her shoulder in a show of silent support before continuing their journey, and when he finally dropped her off at the Hyuuga compound she left without saying anything.

His mind now consumed with a mix of worry and curiosity Naruto headed back towards the Hokage tower in the hopes of catching Team 8 and finding out what had happened. His luck held as he caught them leaving the tower, and a look from Kurenai had Kiba and Shino walking away while she motioned at Naruto to follow her. He fell in line with her as she made her way back towards her house, waiting silently until they had settled on a couch in her living room with a tea service set out. The act seemed to calm Kurenai somewhat, and she sighed before turning to Naruto.

"Someone tried to steal Hinata's eyes."

Naruto's mind froze for a second as memories of another time resurfaced, of a man from Kumo laughing arrogantly before being skewered by a forest of chains, and then rage rose white-hot in him.

"Did you catch him?" It took a supreme effort of will to keep the snarl out of his voice, but when Kurenai shook her head it escaped past his lips anyways.

"There wasn't anything to catch." She said, causing Naruto to cock his head to the side in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean there were no identifying features left after Hinata was through with him." Kurenai picked up her glass and held it between them, staring into the amber liquid with a distracted expression. "I'm not sure if the mission was a farce to begin with or just presented an opportunity, but after we delivered our client to Yu no Kuni we decided to stay the night and rest before heading back to Konoha. Kiba and Shino shared one room while Hinata and I shared another, and sometime after midnight someone snuck into our room. I don't know if he planned to take only her eyes or if her waking up forced him to improvise but he startled Hinata, and she struck out at him on instinct." Kurenai shuddered as she took a deep draw from her cup.

"I've seen the Jyuuken used to kill before, but never like _that_. Whether it was on purpose or not, Hinata's strike obliterated the attacker's facial bone structure, it was completely shattered." Naruto sat back with a pained look Hinata's condition at the gate finally became clear, and hoped that Hizashi or Hitomi could help ease the horror of what had happened. He certainly had enough nightmares of his own after what he'd done on the bridge in Nami.

"He didn't have anything on him that could be used to ID the body?" Naruto asked, but Kurenai immediately shook her head.

"Not even a hitai-ate. All his equipment was off-the-rack so there's no point in trying to trace him that way either." She answered, letting out a frustrated sound at the same time before looking to Naruto. "Ruto…I know you helped Hinata get over her first kill in Nami, and after what happened with the Kumo ambassador this will probably affect her even worse. Can I ask you to keep an eye on her, maybe talk to her a bit? After all, you're probably one of few people she trusts outside her clan that knows what it's like to have to worry about people after your Kekkei Genkai."

Naruto nearly dropped his tea in shock as he turned to stare at Kurenai with wide eyes, and for the first time since walking through the gates of Konaha she cracked a smile.

"I might not be an expert on Konoha's Kekkei Genkai but I _am_ old enough to remember the last person with those chains. I'm guessing you've been hiding them to cut down on the possibility of someone coming after you?" Naruto nodded absently as he tried to calm his racing heart.

"I thought so." Kurenai nodded briskly before looking at him piercingly. "It's your choice who you tell about them Ruto, but keep in mind I'm not the only one who remembers. Your generation might not be familiar with that particular bloodline, but my generation is. You'll have to prepare for the information getting out there sooner or later."

Naruto silently nodded as he finished his tea before standing. As he left Kurenai's house he couldn't help the feeling of foreboding as he considered her words. He had a feeling his time as a Kodama was rapidly running out.

* * *

The intervening weeks before the Chunin Exams passed quickly for Naruto. He didn't see Hinata for almost two days after talking to Kurenai. When she did finally emerge from the Hyuuga estates she was mostly back to her normal state, if somewhat subdued, but she refused to say much about her encounter with the unknown shinobi besides general assurances that she was fine.

It was only a couple of days before the exams that Naruto had his first encounter with a non-renegade foreign shinobi, and from what he had experienced he would rather have gone a few more rounds with Haku than been around them.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, twerp!"

The unfamiliar voice drew Naruto's attention as he and Hinata walked through the streets just outside the market district, and by unspoken agreement the two began to move towards the commotion. They rounded the corner of a building and stopped as they saw what appeared to be a demented cross between a cat and a geisha holding a vaguely familiar young boy off the ground by the front of his yellow shirt.

"I'm not a twerp, and what kind of boy plays with makeup like that anyways!?" The boy retorted angrily, causing his assailant to snarl angrily before a feminine voice from the side drew his attention.

"Oh put the boy down, Kankuro. We just got here, we don't need you getting into trouble already." The speaker, a girl wearing a battle kimono and a large metal object on her back glared at Kankuro.

"Someone needs to teach him to respect his elders, Temari. And as I'm already right here…"

"You should listen to her and _put the boy down._ " Sasuke's familiar voice came as he and Sakura stepped from the opposite direction from where Naruto and Hinata were standing, the menacing tone in his voice causing the painted boy's eyebrows to rise as he smiled tauntingly.

"And if I don't?"

"Well we could make you…" Sasuke began, ignoring the way the other boy's eyebrows narrowed angrily. "but considering that's the Hokage's grandson you're manhandling I think the ANBU might have first claim."

It was difficult to tell underneath the pale makeup on his face but Naruto thought he saw the boy blanch as he hastily dropped his prey and backed away by several steps.

"Good choice." Sakura said with a smug smile before noticing the symbol on the headbands both the strangers were wearing. "Suna? What are a couple of _Suna_ shinobi doing in Konoha!?" Naruto considered it an act of supreme willpower that he refrained from smacking his forehead into his palm.

"I'm guessing all three of them are here for the Chunin exams." Naruto spoke from their concealed location just around the corner, drawing the attention of everyone involved.

"What do you mean 'all three', there're only two of them! Can't you count?" Sakura asked condescendingly, but Naruto simply pointed into the branches of a nearby tree in response.

Both Sakura and Sasuke turned to look in the direction he was pointing and saw a boy with pale skin and red hair barely obscuring the kanji for _love_ carved into his forehead hanging upside down from a low branch, noticeably unhindered by the large gourd strapped to his back. The dark circles under his eyes stretched slightly as his gaze narrowed in irritation at being spotted so easily, and the glare he turned on Naruto for several seconds was full of malice before it fell on the painted boy.

"You're a disgrace Kankuro." The boy in question tensed at the nearly whispered insult, but from where Naruto was standing it seemed more like terror than anger.

"Gaara, I was just-"

"Shut up. We're leaving." The protest died in Kankuro's throat as soon as Gaara spoke, and the girl was doing her best not to draw attention as they turned to walk away. As he dropped from the branch and turned to follow his teammates Gaara looked straight at Naruto for several uncomfortable seconds.

"What is your name?" His voice was quiet, like the rasp of sand over stone.

"Ruto Kodama" Naruto replied in a carefully neutral voice, matching Gaara's lack of inflection. The other boy's stare intensified for a second as if memorizing his features, and the seal on Naruto's stomach seemed to pulse slightly.

"You will prove my existence, Kodama." Was all he said before turning to follow the other two.

"Well that was pleasant."

* * *

The day of the Chunin Exams started rather inauspiciously for Naruto. Images of Gaara's emotionless stare had haunted him the entire night, and something about the pulse he'd felt from the Kyuubi's seal had left him with a sense of trepidation that put him off his dinner. The feeling was still there in the morning, and Naruto subtly wrapped several lengths of chain around his torso and arms in a near-unconscious reflex as he headed towards the Hyuuga compound to meet up with Hinata. As he, walked his gaze was drawn in the direction of the academy where he and the other participants would be starting their exam in just over an hour, and idly wondered what was in store for them as the Hyuuga main gate came into view.

"You have your backup kunai? And your shuriken pouch?" Naruto picked up Hitomi's voice before he managed to pick out her form just behind one of the pillars holding up the gates, Hinata standing beside her with a slight smile as she nodded.

"Ready to go Hinata-chan?" Naruto called out causing both mother and daughter to turn his way in surprise.

"Naruto-kun, you're early!" Hitomi admonished, her smile removing any bite from the comment as Hinata nodded.

"I had trouble sleeping so I thought I'd start a little early." Naruto answered with a slightly embarrassed grin. "Nerves, I guess."

"At least you didn't throw up." Hitomi said, grinning evilly as a groan came from behind her.

"More than a decade and you STILL won't let me live that down." Hizashi grumbled as he and Neji walked up to the gate. The younger branch member stayed silent as he gave a small nod to Naruto, though his deliberate lack of the same courtesy for Hinata was irritating. While Naruto could understand, to a degree, Neji's jealousy at the amount of time Hizashi spent training Hinata it seemed to Naruto that he was becoming more petulant as time went by and Hinata continued to show…lackluster improvement in the standard Jyuuken. With a murmured goodbye to his father and a deeper nod to Hitomi Neji set off to meet his own team for the exams, and causing Naruto to look apprehensively at Hinata.

"Looks like it's time."

Hinata smiled nervously as Hitomi gave her one last hug and pushed them towards the gate, and together they set out for the exams.

* * *

For several minutes all Naruto could do was stare. When he'd been given the sign-up forms for the Chunin Exams they'd specified the academy as the location of the first round, and he'd foolishly assumed that meant the academy building itself. If the giant grey monolith currently occupying what had formerly been the outdoor training fields was any indication, he'd been wrong. _Very_ wrong.

Hinata and Naruto had meet up with their respective teams in front of the new structure before heading en-mass to the front door where a large sign directed the participants to take one sheet from the indicated table and follow the instructions on it. Naruto watched with slight irritation as Sasuke quickly snatched the top sheet from the pile and moved away to read it, and as he moved to follow the Uchiha he saw the other teams following suit, including several teams that had moved through the doorway to the new structure without much more than a quick glance at the paper.

"What's it say?" Naruto asked as he saw Sasuke finish scanning the page, and quickly brought a hand up to catch the paper as it was tossed towards him. The page was mostly blank with a few lines of block type on it.

 _Konoha Chunin Exams – Phase 1_

· _Enter the Cube_

· _Find Testing Center 11_

o _There are 3 rooms numbered sequentially within Testing Center 11. One member must enter each room._

o _Once an occupant enters a door the room's entry door will seal. There are doors connecting each room in sequence._

o _Each room contains the means to open the next room in the sequence._

o _The final door leads to the area for Phase 2_

· _RULES_

o _The locks and doors must stay intact. Damage to either will count as grounds for immediate disqualification of the entire team._

o _All three team members must exit through the final door in order to pass Phase 1._

o _This test is timed. Any teams that have failed to escape their Testing Center after 60 minutes have passed will be disqualified._

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly as he noted how open-ended the rules were before glancing up at Sasuke. Instead of heading off immediately after tossing the paper, which was honestly what he would have expected from the Uchiha, Sasuke was waiting for him to finish reading with a slight smirk. Naruto frowned as he looked back at the sheet to see if he'd missed something, and on the second pass through felt a burst of self-irritation. _'It was subtle, but I really should have noticed the genjutsu earlier than that_ ' he thought as he began to bring his hands together to release the genjutsu before he had an idea and instead brought the paper up in front of his face.

' _It was almost worth hiding for all those years just to see the look on their faces'_ Naruto allowed himself a small smirk as both Sasuke and Sakura took a step backwards. The length of chain that had unraveled from under the collar of his shirt moved sinuously until it was interposed between his eyes and the paper, and much to his pleasure the genjutsu over the paper failed to penetrate the transparent chains. ' _Just like Itachi-sensei said, the chains block pretty much any directed chakra from passing through.'_ Naruto thought as he realized how important the slight change had been.

 _Konoha Chunin Exams – Phase 1_

· _Enter the Cube through the eastern entrance._

A quick glance back towards the visible entrance of the cube, which faced almost compass-perfect to the _south_ , had him sharing a rare smile with the Uchiha.

"Guess it'll go faster if they weed out the really unprepared one's early." Naruto said, his earlier nervousness erased by his newfound good mood as he gestured good-naturedly and Team 7 began heading around the cube. Several other teams had apparently discovered the genjutsu as well and were heading in different directions, but he couldn't be sure if it was to throw off their competition or if there were multiple entrances being used outside of the one obvious fake entrance.

The Cube was, as its name suggested, more or less cuboidal in shape, and it took them the better part of five minutes to reach the only visible entrance on the eastern side of the large building. Entering through the unlocked door led them into a corridor lined with doors, each identical to the others but for a number stamped onto the surface, and after a cursory search Team 7 was standing inside Testing Center 11.

"They really like the whole 'featureless room' thing, don't they" Sakura muttered as they stared at a set of black doors labeled from 1 to 3.

"Any idea who should go in what door?" Naruto asked after his inspection revealed absolutely nothing noteworthy about each door. Behind each door was a blackout curtain that prevented them from seeing into the room, and the lighting in the Testing Center itself was dim enough to make peering beyond the curtains a failing prospect.

"No idea, but we're wasting time. Just pick a door." Sasuke replied authoritatively before walking straight towards the door marked '2'. A moment later Sakura headed towards the door marked '1', leaving Naruto standing alone in a room with only 1 door left.

"Number 3 it is, I guess." He grumble sarcastically as he made his way into the third room. Almost as soon as he passed through the curtain he heard the door slam shut and he was plunged into complete darkness.

"Sasuke? Sakura?" Naruto's voice echoed in the darkness around him, but no answer was forthcoming.

"Great. So no external light or cooperation. Wonder if…" Naruto trailed off as his hands made first the tiger seal and then the snake seal before he called out ' _Raiton: Will-o'-the-wisp no jutsu'._ Almost immediately a ball of soft blue/green light crackled into existence over his clasped hands and threw the room around him into stark relief.

' _I am never complaining about Kakashi-sensei teaching me 'traveling' justu ever again.'_ He thought as he examined the room around him. It was stark, a roughly rectangular structure made of black stone with no distinguishing features beside the two doors and a small table that contained a metal rod. He walked over to the table and, after checking for traps, picked up the rod with one hand. It wasn't long, maybe 15cm in length with one notched end and one with threads. A quick look at the interior door didn't show any way for the rod to interface with his door (which he checked to make sure was locked, just in case. More than one shinobi had made a problem harder for themselves by not trying the obvious answers first), and there wasn't any keyhole for him to try and pick.

Naruto was acutely conscious of the fact that their time was dwindling, and even the idea that he might not be the first room in line and thus need someone else to open his door couldn't stop the feeling of urgency that was building. After what felt like his fiftieth search of the room he sat down next to the table and tried to brainstorm ways out of the room.

' _Ok, can't destroy the door or the lock so the brute-force method is out. Something in the floor is preventing me from just using the Moguragakure no Jutsu to skip rooms and…I might be an idiot.'_ Naruto allowed himself a brief moment of self-recrimination before getting to his feet and walking to the wall just to the right of the interior door. He'd previously discarded the idea of destroying a wall, both because he didn't know any jutsu that would only affect the wall and not the door and because the substance the wall was made of was stronger than his kunai, but he'd been hiding his abilities so long he'd forgotten he had something _much_ stronger than a kunai.

A bit of channeled chakra soon had a segment of chain as long as the room braced against both walls, point towards where he assumed Sasuke's room was, and as he began to will the chain to extend he was gratified to see the point slowly sink into the wall. Despite the wall's sturdy nature the chain proved more durable, and in just under a minute he was rewarded with a startled cry as he felt the resistance disappear from his chain.

"Kodama!? Is that you?" Sasuke's familiar voice was a relief after so much time without any sound.

"Uchiha? Did you unlock your room yet?" Naruto called back after a moment, dispelling his chain and bringing his eye to the newly-formed hole. Through the gap he could see a familiar will-o'-the-wisp floating in the center of Sasuke's room along with a table identical to the one in his own room.

"No." Sasuke's answered angrily. "There's some sort of lock on the door but I've never seen anything like it before, it's circular and doesn't seem to have any real tumblers. And the walls are harder than my kunai." The frustration was palpable in his voice as the sound of metal-on-stone came from outside field of vision offered by the small hole. Naruto frowned in thought as he listened to the description of the lock in Sasuke's room and glanced down at the metal rod in his hands curiously before smiling as an old memory gave him an idea.

"Hey Sasuke?" He called back through the hole and was rewarded as the Uchiha came back into view from wherever he'd been trying to pick through the walls.

"Stand still." Naruto considered himself generous for giving that much warning, and Sasuke had only a fraction of a second to realize what the familiar pulling sensation was.

"Kodama! Don't you da-" The kawarimi initiated before he could finish the sentence and he found himself in a room almost identical to the one he'd been in before.

"What the hell Kodama!" He shouted angrily as he pounded on the wall and pulled his eye level with the hole and blinked. There were _two_ Ruto's in the room staring back at him. Both smirked at him as the familiar sensation took hold again, and moments later he found himself back in the original room flustered and confused.

" _Kage Bunshin/Kawarimi_ combination. I think this is what we need to open your door." Naruto said, managing to keep his amusement down to a small smirk instead of the riotous laughter that wanted to escape as he held up the metal rod. Sasuke gaped at him for several seconds, his mouth working soundlessly as he tried to figure out something to say, before grabbing the pole and stalking over to the door. The notched end slotted into the circular hole in the door with nary a sound while the piece on Sasuke's table, a strange arrangement of three handles around a central opening, twisted easily around the threads of the rod's exposed end forming a wheel of sorts. Three frustration-fueled turns later and the door swung open just in time for Sakura to nearly tackle a surprised Sasuke to the ground.

"Sasuke-kun, I knew you'd figure it out!" She shouted dramatically right before the boy in question frantically dodged to the side. The sudden lack of her intended target threw off Sakura's balance enough to send her tumbling to the floor, leaving both Sasuke and Naruto staring incredulously at the pink-haired girl. For the first time in a long while Naruto was feeling almost sorry for Sasuke.

With remarkable speed Sakura pulled herself up from the floor and, apart from a slight reddening of her cheeks, completely ignored what had just happened. Behind her Naruto could see the familiar pitch-black interior of another identical room, but unlike the rooms he and Sasuke had been in there was no globe of light providing some perspective.

' _Has she been sitting in the dark this whole time!?'_ He thought incredulously, though upon further reflection it _would_ explain her rather extreme reaction. Despite her chakra control (which was admittedly only as good as it was due to her low reserves) Sakura had had considerable amounts of trouble learning the elemental 'traveling' jutsu Kakashi had taught them, and if she had been worried about running out of chakra by maintaining the light…

With a suppressed sigh Naruto's reflexive irritation at Sakura's antics was quashed under an unexpected wave of sympathy, and his lack of so much as an irritated look at the pinkette drew enough of Sasuke's attention to give Sakura the moment she needed to put her extreme reaction behind her. Naruto stepped forward and made another ball of light to more clearly see Sakura's door, and after a few moments motioned behind him to Sasuke.

"You ever seen anything like this?" He asked as soon as the other boy stepped closer, gesturing to the lock. Sasuke tilted his head to the side as he took out a set of picks from an interior jacket pocket, sharingan activated, but after several exploratory probes he deactivated his eyes and shook his head.

"No, and just like the other door it doesn't seem to have any traditional tumblers. Unlike that door, however, it doesn't seem to have a way to rotate." He said before frowning. "It does absorb a bit of the chakra from your light though. Not a lot, but it definitely channels it."

Naruto looked between the lock and his light jutsu with a thoughtful expression for several moments before walking back over to the arrangement they'd used on Sasuke's door and pulling it from its slot. Gesturing to the metal as he walked back over to Sasuke he began to channel a bit of chakra through the hand holding the handle.

"Any chance this channels chakra the same way?" He asked, watching as Sasuke's eyes turned red once more and steadfastly ignoring the slight twinge of pain that shot through him during the tiny amount of time his eyes met Sasuke's. It took only a moment of inspection before the corner of Sasuke's mouth turned up in a familiar cocksure grin.

"They're identical."

A cursory examination proved that the same end as before slotted into the third door, and with a triumphant smile Naruto channeled a large amount of chakra into his hands and waited for the door to open. For nearly a minute he channeled through the handle, but when he finally let go and stepped back the door had budged not an inch.

"I don't understand…" Sasuke murmured as he stared between Naruto and the handle before walking forward and grasping one of the spokes with his own hands. Naruto could feel the chakra he was giving off from several paces away as Sasuke stared at his hands intently for several moments before pulling his left hand back and placing it specifically on a different spoke from his right. One again he channeled chakra through the handle for several moments before stepping back with a thoughtful frown mirrored by Naruto.

"You think it's a three-way lock?" Naruto asked after a moment, staring at the three spokes of the wheel and correctly interpreting Sasuke's actions. The other boy nodded without pulling his focus from the lock, and when he spoke his voice was troubled.

"It's a three-way, but one more sensitive than anything I've seen before. Even the slightest deviation in the chakra streams is enough to disrupt the entire stream and prevent it from reaching the door. All three of us would need to not only channel at the same rate but also the same composition. I don't see how they expect three people to synchronize that well…" He trailed off as he noticed Naruto's wide grin. "What are you smiling about?"

Instead of answering Naruto brought his hands together in a cross sign and suddenly there were three identical red-heads standing in front of Sasuke.

"Three identical chakra streams you say?" The original Naruto asked with a smirk. "I think we can manage that." For the first time in Naruto's memory Sasuke directed a genuine smile at him, a small grin that expanded to a full smile as all three Narutos began to channel chakra into the handle and they heard a deep grinding noise. A long seem appeared along one corner of the door as the grinding came to an end and all three Narutos stopped channeling chakra as they pulled on the handle, and with a loud scraping sound the heavy rectangle pulled away from the wall to reveal a dim hallway leading away from the room.

"After you." Naruto said with a small flourish as the two clones dispersed back into chakra-laced smoke, and Sasuke paused for a moment to make another light before leading the trio into the tunnel. Despite their diligent checking the tunnel seemed completely devoid of anything, dangerous or otherwise, and led in a straight line for several dozen yards before coming to a plain wooden door with light leaking out from underneath. All three looked at the door nervously but could see nothing untoward about it, so with a quick breath for courage they pushed their way through.

The sunlight was almost blinding after so long with only a small wisp for illumination, and Team 7 stood just beyond the door for several seconds blinking the glare away before Naruto could make out a large field and a giant painted sign. As his eyes adjusted sufficiently for reading he allowed a smile to spread across his face.

 **Congratulations, You've Reached the Second Stage!**


	11. Chapter 10: Petting Zoo

**A/N:** Hey guys, sorry for the delay in all this, real life has gotten messy lately. I don't plan on abandoning TLTU anytime soon (hopefully never), so don't worry about that right now. This chapter is a little shorter, but i hit a roadblock planning the next stage and decided to post what I have now instead of delaying again and again. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but please don't flame.

 **Chapter 10: Petting Zoo**

 _"_ _After you." Naruto said with a small flourish as the two clones dispersed back into chakra-laced smoke, and Sasuke paused for a moment to make another light before leading the trio into the tunnel. Despite their diligent checking the tunnel seemed completely devoid of anything, dangerous or otherwise, and led in a straight line for several dozen yards before coming to a plain wooden door with light leaking out from underneath. All three looked at the door nervously but could see nothing untoward about it, so with a quick breath for courage they pushed their way through._

 _The sunlight was almost blinding after so long with only a small wisp for illumination, and Team 7 stood just beyond the door for several seconds blinking the glare away before Naruto could make out a large field and a giant painted sign. As his eyes adjusted sufficiently for reading he allowed a smile to spread across his face._

 ** _Congratulations, You've Reached the Second Stage!_**

After his eyes had finished adjusting to the mid-afternoon sunlight the first thing Naruto noticed was the wall: it extended away from them in either direction for hundreds of meters, curving slightly as it went and dotted here and there with gates. The sign letting them know they'd passed the first stage was set up over an unoccupied stand between two of the gates leading through the main wall and had several other groups standing around in a loose semicircle.

"Ruto-san!" Though his voice was pitched only slightly louder than his normal speaking tones, Naruto's sensitive ears easily caught Shino's greeting. He quickly found Team 8 amongst the crowd and made his way over, Sakura and Sasuke following behind for lack of anything better to do.

"I knew you'd make it through!" Naruto said as he clapped Shino on the shoulder and smiled warmly at Hinata, who returned his smile with a much more subdued one.

"Indeed. My kikaichū were able to manipulate the first door without difficulty while the final door posed little trouble for the byakugan." Shino said in a monotone, though Naruto fancied he could detect just a trace of pride in the bug-user's tone. "I take it the task proved equally tenable for you?"

"Er…" Naruto blushed slightly at Shino's question. "I had a little trouble with the first lock so I kinda… drilled a hole in the wall." He finished in a rush. Kiba gaped for a second before sniggering loudly while Shino raised a single eyebrow, which for him was about the same thing, and Naruto looked away embarrassed.

"We still passed…" He muttered, a little petulantly.

Before anyone could respond there was an audible cracking sound that grabbed the attention of every genin currently in the clearing, and many had just enough time to grip weapons or take stances before the earth in front of the banner cracked open and an enormous, sinuous shape shot into the sky. Naruto manifested the beginnings of two chains while a clone silently appeared behind him, ready to kawarimi, but the shape quickly resolved itself into a kunoichi with a Konoha hitai-ite standing atop a giant snake.

The clearing stood frozen for an indeterminate amount of time as the unknown kunoichi stared down at the chunin hopefuls, her eyes unreadable, before bursting into laughter.

"You should've seen the look on your faces!" She said, the words interspersed between bouts of uproarious laughter. She continued for almost a minute before finally pulling herself together and jumping down off the top of the snake.

"Congrats on making it through the first stage, food!" She called out with a vicious smile. Beside him Naruto could see Hinata hang her head slightly and frown. "I am the deadly, dangerous, and most importantly sexy Mitarashi Anko, and I'll be your proctor for the second stage of these exams!" There was a notably lackluster response to her announcement from the genin present, and a small scowl crossed Anko's face as she muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'stick in the mud'. The comment drew the tiniest of smirks from Naruto.

Anko looked around as the assembled genin shifted closer to their newly-revealed proctor before patting the snake she was standing on and dropping to the ground. "Listen up!" She shouted, holding up a set of forms she'd seemingly pulled from nowhere. "Behind me is Training Ground 44, also known as the Forest of Death." A wide smile split her face as she spoke, and she seemed to relish the area's unofficial name. "and _this_ is where the second part of your exams will take place." Most of the foreign shinobi reacted with barely-raised eyebrows or scoffs but Naruto, and surprisingly Kiba, both paled slightly while Shino's bugs began buzzing in agitation. Despite the crowd around them Anko seemed to zero in on their reaction instantly, her slightly-crazed smile growing even larger before she turned back to the crowd.

"Your task for the next ten days is simple." She said with a light tone as she reached into the pocket of her trench coat and pulled out a simple metal band with small etchings on it. "In the forest are several groups of animals in possession of these bands. Get three of them and make it to the tower in the center of the training ground with your team intact." She said before frowning in thought for a moment, then brightening. "Oh yeah, it should go without saying that leaving the forest will mean disqualification."

Several of the genin smiled while Choji looked like he was on the verge of panicking. "What are we supposed to do about food for ten days!?" He called out, only for Anko to shrug with an unconcerned expression.

"You're ninja, live off the land. Hell, go cannibal and eat the other genin for all I care, just don't leave the forest. And speaking of that…" Anko walked over to a small table underneath the congratulations sign and dropped the stack of forms onto it along with a box of pens. "Everyone needs to sign one of these before going into the forest. Don't worry, they just absolve Konoha of any liability should you die during the exams." The last of the smiles died away as the possibly lethal nature of the test began to sink in for the assembled Genin as they slowly filed forward to sign the consent forms. As each team handed in the complete forms they were directed towards one of the entrances dotting the giant wall until all the teams were spread out. As they headed towards their respective starting points Naruto caught Hinata's eye and made a series of quick handsigns causing Sasuke to narrow his eyes and Hinata to nod. As soon as the last team was in place Anko began leisurely making hand signs.

"The second task begins at my signal. Try to at least make it interesting." As she finished the last sign Anko raised her right hand skyward and released a mote of light that streaked upwards before exploding with a loud band at the same moment the various gates to the forest opened and the genin rushed in.

* * *

"See anything yet?" Kiba asked as they rested for a moment high in one of the abnormally large trees that made up much of the forest. As soon as the task had started Team 8 had rushed through the gate, intent on putting some distance between themselves and any teams that might think of circling the inside of the wall to 'reduce the competition' a bit. Now, nearly half a kilometer into the forest they were stopping to take stock of their situation for the first time.

"Nothing" Hinata said, her tone clipped as she scanned the area with her doujutsu. "There are a few animals in my range but none of them are wearing bands."

"The ones with bands must be closer to their dens" Kiba said with a frown as he looked deeper into the forest, shivering slightly. Seeing the normally brash and confident Inuzuka so unnerved caused Hinata to raise an eyebrow questioningly. Thoroughly used to the look from his mother and sister, Kiba didn't even try to hold out.

"I don't like this place." He said with a grimace, his eyes constantly keeping watch on the surrounding area. "It smells feral, like too many big predators in too small a place. Plus some of the stories Hana has told me about this place… even _she_ said it's no place to go unprepared." Akamaru barked softly in agreement with his partner's agitation. "Plus I have no idea where we would even go to look for these bands. Maybe near the river or-"

"We stay away from the river." Hinata cut him off in an authoritative tone, garnering her own raised eyebrow from her teammates. Ever since the mission to Yu no Kuni Hinata's personality had taken a more forceful turn, and while neither would gainsay the quiet girl a boost in confidence the rapid change was a bit shocking. "Ruto said some of the things further in the forest would be…bad for us to go up against."

"And he would know that how?" Kiba asked suspiciously, watching as Hinata visibly squirmed as she tried to think of an answer that wouldn't give away what she considered privileged information on her best friend.

"He…he's spent a lot of time in the forests around Konoha." She said slowly. "Enough to be familiar with most of it. If he says to stay away from the deeper parts of the forest, I say we listen to him. Besides, I'm sure there'll be bands near the river. They wouldn't put them all in one place."

* * *

' _Every band in the whole damn forest must be down there'_ Naruto thought as he stared at the roiling mass below them.

From his perspective, everything had been going to shit since the moment Team 7 had stepped into the forest. Sasuke stubbornly insisted that they should head deeper into the forest where he assumed most of the animal dens would be, even going to far as to tell Naruto they could split up if he was so dead-set against following them. With Sakura's vote a foregone conclusion Naruto had finally decided that following his teammates was better than the chewing out Kakashi was sure to give him if he abandoned them and they were eaten by a giant slug or something. Not to mention he'd fail if that happened.

"What the hell _are_ those" Sasuke's disgusted voice came from Naruto's right, his face screwed up into a distasteful expression.

"Centipedes"

"No way in hell any centipede grows that big. They've gotta be fifteen feet long!"

Naruto sighed as he made a shushing motion at his teammate while keeping one eye on the mass of predatory insects below. "Fine, they're _giant_ centipedes. Now do you see why I said to stay out of the deep forest?"

Predictably, Sasuke's expression became mulish while Sakura's reflexive defense of the Uchiha was probably only held back by the danger below them and her dislike of insects. He'd thought, perhaps naively, that the two of them might have gained a bit of respect for him based on their more accommodating behavior during the first task, but the moment they were back in a field environment that attitude seemed to melt away.

"They're just bugs. All we need to do is kill a couple of them and we'll be at the tower by sundown." The black-on-red of Sasuke's activated doujutsu was fixed on the mass below them and Naruto was suddenly overcome by trepidation as his hands rose to make a seal.

"What are you-"

Before Naruto could stop him Sasuke took a deep breath before exhaling a giant fireball right into the center of the nest. There was a _whoosh_ as the fireball hit the top of one of the giants right before the fireball expanded to cover a full third of the horde. For a fraction of a second Naruto held out hope they're been lucky and the insects were too stupid to realize where the attack had come from, but any hope died as the chittering sound of mandibles clacking together rose from a low background to an ominous chorus.

"Shit"

They punched through the residual smoke from the fire jutsu in a wave of chitin and mandibles, legs blurring as they gripped the trees and propelled the grotesque forms quickly upwards. Naruto was moving almost before he registered the attack as a quartet of chains burst from his back, two of them anchoring him between two of the massive trees surrounding them while another two shot forward with deadly accuracy and speared a pair of centipedes between their eyes. Even as his first attack claimed its victims more of the insects were surging forward, their beady eyes focused as they saw the prey that had dared attack them. A quick thought moved Naruto even higher into the air as his chains retracted out of the two dead centipedes, pausing only to slip a thin length of chain around the band encircling one mandible on each corpse and bringing them into Naruto's waiting hand.

"We need to get out of here!" He half-shouted to Sasuke as the other boy breathed out a series of small fireballs that impacted against several centipedes, the fire dispersing to reveal concealed shuriken that unfortunately did little but enrage the already-irritated creatures farther.

"I can handle this!" The dark-haired boy shouted back as he threw several kunai with more force and finally managed to penetrate the thick exoskeleton of several approaching enemies. Only one of the three climbers fell to the ground from the attack, but the injuries on the other two managed to slow the insects and, consequently, the ones behind them.

"Maybe you can" Naruto grit out in frustration as he threw a kunai and made a cross sign that multiplied the projectile into a brief rain of metal. "but Sakura can't." He briefly pointed to the terrified kunoichi who had done little more than move higher into the trees and throw a few kunai into the mass of enemies.

Sasuke stared at the pink-haired girl for two long heartbeats, an eternity during battle, before growling under his breath. His next kunai was thrown with enough force to embed it completely into the head of a centipede that had thought to circle around to the other side of the tree trunk for a sneak attack, and he glared at Naruto as the ten-foot-long corpse fell to the forest floor. Their eye contact lasted just long enough for Naruto to see that he accepted the necessity, and a moment later two dozen copies of the redhead were sending their Kongō Fūsa towards the swarm and drawing as much attention as they could. Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment as he saw the number of clones Naruto had made so casually as a mere _diversion_ , but recovered quickly and was soon moving along the tree branches away from the nest. Naruto followed slightly behind, having taken a second to make sure Sakura was following them, and Team 7 spent the next ten minutes putting as much distance between themselves and the carnivorous, predatory swarm of centipedes as they could. When they finally stopped next to a small stream even the sounds of Naruto's clones fighting had faded back to the normal stillness of the forest, which was promptly broken by an angry Sasuke as they refilled their canteens in the clear water.

"We could have taken them." The angry accusation was clear in Sasuke's voice as he turned to Naruto, who simply shrugged.

"The point is to get the _bands_ , Sasuke. Not to murder every animal we come across." Naruto's eyes were unreadable behind his customary shades. "And I'm not so sure we could have."

"You didn't seem to be having any trouble with your clones there to help us." Sasuke snarked back. "And now we've got nothing to show for our efforts but lost energy and time."

"Not quite." Naruto cut off Sasuke's tirade by reaching into his pocket and pulling out the pair of rings he'd taken from the first two centipedes he'd killed. He couldn't resist a small smile as his teammate's gaped at him.

"Two down, one to go." He said in a satisfied voice, putting the rings back in his pocket.

This turned out to be a good thing, as a split-second later something barreled into him from the side and everything went black.

* * *

 _"_ _Tsuga!"_

The last echoes of Kiba's jutsu faded away into the forest as Hinata and Shino walked up. Both Akamaru and Kiba were panting slightly but wore proud smiles as the quartet surveyed the downed form of an abnormally large boar, easily eight feet at the shoulder, which had taken the full brunt of Kiba's attack.

"Aaaand that's three!" Kiba fist-pumped as Hinata, after activating her Byakugan to make sure the animal was really dead, removed the band that encircled the right tusk. Kiba's last attack had turned most of the animal's side into a mass of slashed and bruised flesh but what little was left untouched would still make for a decent meal if they couldn't make it to the tower before nightfall.

"So what now?" Still running on the high of taking down his opponent Kiba's voice was louder than Hinata or Shino would have liked, but as Hinata didn't detect anyone within the radius of her Byakugan when she checked on the boar she didn't comment on it besides a small grimace.

"We should head to the tower as quickly as possible." Shino said immediately.

"Aww, really? Why not stay in the forest and see if we can take down a team or two? Less competition for later." Kiba whined.

"Because not every team in this forest is from Konoha, and the forms we were required to sign before this task absolve them of any responsibility should they kill us in self-defense."

Kiba's exuberant expression immediately turned sour at the thought.

"You make it sound like we can't take them."

Shino raised an eyebrow but before he could respond there was a loud crash from somewhere deeper in the forest accompanied by a rising cloud of dust and birds visible even above the giant trees of the forest. As the sound faded Team 8 stood silently alert as they watched for any signs of danger, only relaxing slightly when they couldn't detect anything. As Akamaru's tail slowly began to wag again Shino pinned Kiba with a harsh stare.

"We cannot know for certain if we are stronger than the other teams, but the evidence would seem to suggest that _someone_ out there has more destructive potential than we do. And I, for one, would not like to meet them." Shino turned and started walking along the river in the direction of the center of the forest, Hinata following silently behind.

Kiba's face was pensive as he fell in line.

* * *

' _What the hell is she?'_ Sasuke thought with a tinge of panic as his opponent dodged through another hail of shuriken hidden inside his Hōsenka no jutsu. Even with his sharingan active Sasuke would have had trouble replicating the feat, but the girl in the Sound headband didn't look like she was even trying.

"Kukuku, you'll have to do better than that Sasuke-kun." The voice was possibly the most disturbing part of his opponent, clearly male with an undercurrent of covetous intent that made him shiver as he barely dodged several taijutsu attacks before substituting himself with a log and launching another Hōsenka. Just as before the Sound ninja dodged easily between the small balls of fire, a disappointed expression on her face right up until the moment Sasuke tightened his hands and guided the shuriken hidden inside the fireballs to wrap around her body courtesy of their attached wires. The disappointed expression changed to surprise and something akin to pleasure even as Sasuke breathed a line of fire down the wires that engulfed her body.

Standing atop a high tree-branch with his chest pumping like a bellows Sasuke took a brief moment to scan the area around them. Sakura was still huddled against the trunk of a nearby tree, the killing intent the Sound ninja had subjected them to at the beginning of the fight still suppressing her ability to function, and Sasuke had an uncharacteristic moment of gratitude towards Kakashi. If the jonin hadn't subjected him to similar killing intent several times during the extra training the council had ordered he might have been stuck much like Sakura, unable to even move under the face of such malice.

Kodama was nowhere to be found, and if he was honest with himself that was worrying on multiple levels. First, and most irritating, they couldn't pass the second stage without all three members of their team. If they somehow failed to find the redhead they would be kicked out, even if they managed to get the three bands. Second, and only slightly less irritating, was the fact that other boy had also been holding the two rings from the centipedes, meaning they were back to square one either way. Last, and most troubling, was the idea that someone out there had the ability to not only take Kodama by surprise but also put him out of commission entirely. While still firmly convinced that he was better than his teammate, even Sasuke had to admit that the redhead was skilled. And if someone out there could take the boy down Sasuke didn't want to meet them in his current condition.

"Kukuku, impressive." Sasuke whipped his head up to find the same Sound ninja standing on a branch a mere fifteen yards away, a few small darkened points on her clothes the only sign showing she'd been hit by one of his strongest combination attacks. Sasuke stared with wide eyes before glances at the dying flames from his last attack and finding only a pile of vaguely human-shaped mud instead of the corpse he'd assumed was inside the inferno.

The slight wavering of his attention lasted only the smallest fraction of a second, but in that time-frame the Sound girl had covered almost the entire distance between them and it was only the accelerated perceptions given to Sasuke by the sharingan that allowed him to substitute away in time. The tree trunk behind him cracked as the girl's fist went _through_ the log he'd switched with and slammed into the tree behind it, but rather than frustration all the other ninja showed was a wide smile. The killing intent she'd been putting off for the entire fight spiked suddenly as her eyes unerringly sought Sasuke out again and the Uchiha swore under his breath.

' _Crap'_

* * *

Naruto stared at the smoking remains of the giant snake from his perch halfway up a tree as he tried to catch his breath. The giant reptile had smashed into Naruto hard enough to daze him and throw him quite a distance from his teammates but despite the size of the beast it still took nearly a minute for it to catch up with its much smaller prey. In that minute Naruto had landed, deactivated the seals restricting his movement, and made a dozen clones. Half the clones immediately hid themselves in the surrounding forest as Naruto and the remaining copies turned to face the ominous rumbling heading towards them, presenting a united front. When the snake had burst into the clearing and seen the multiple copies of its prey there was a moment of hesitation, and it was in that moment that the group attacked.

Thin chains with spear tips may not be particularly effective against a massive snake by themselves, but when there are several dozen of them anchoring said snake to trees even bigger than it is, they're suddenly much more useful. In seconds the snake was thrashing around as scores of Kongō Fūsa restricted its movements, giving Naruto all the time he needed. Another trio of clones popped into existence and manifested chains that pried the monster's mouth open while the last clone calmly walked over and jumped into the gaping maw with a chakra-aided leap. The clone's own chains anchored it and pressed it against the snake's mouth as it began to glow ominously, the chains holding the mouth open retracting at the same time. The snake's mouth snapped shut a fraction of a second later only bulge outwards and then break apart as the clone detonated itself in a concussive fireball that turned most of the snake's head to scattered debris.

"Messy" One of the clones commented, garnering nods from the other clones as well as the original before something pulled all their attention back in the direction they'd come from. The faintest strands of smoke rising above the treetops from the area Naruto thought his teammates had been acted as a silent signal, and moments later the crowd was silently moving through the treetops.

* * *

A rapidly tiring Sasuke exhaled yet another stream of fire, his already-low chakra reserves falling to somewhere between 'fumes' and 'nonexistent', and held in a groan by virtue of exhaustion more than anything else as his opponent simply rotated on the tree branch she was advancing along. The stream passed through the space her chest had occupied a second earlier without stopping and splashed against the tree, the heat causing a few embers but no secondary flames in the well-watered wood, and Sasuke was suddenly flying through the air as a fist connected with the side of his head. Thankfully he landed at the crook of another large branch and didn't fall to the forest below, but his world was spinning dangerously.

"So this is as far as the Last Uchiha goes, is it?" The girl stopped at the edge of the same branch, her yellow eyes focused on his sharingan and a contemplative expression no her face. "I suppose you haven't been a _total_ failure Sasuke-kun. You'll have to grow much faster than this if you want to beat Itachi though." With that one sentence the exhaustion weighing down Sasuke's body seemed to fade into the background as he glared at the Sound girl.

"You know my brother? Where is he!?"

The girl gave a masculine chuckle as Sasuke struggled to stand.

"Now now, is that any way to speak to your betters?" Her face seemed to shift slightly, eyeteeth growing longer while her smile seemed too large for a human mouth. "I'll make a deal with you Sasuke-kun. Come find me after the exams, and I'll tell you where your brother is. I'll even help you get strong enough to kill him." Her visage was definitely reptilian now, and her neck seemed to be extending further out than a human's could. "That is, if you **_survive!_** "

The girl's head leapt forward as her neck extended, mouth gaping and aimed directly at Sasuke's shoulder. Despite his sharingan giving him the ability to follow her movements he simply couldn't move his body enough to dodge anymore, and he waited for the inevitable as he saw her bite down. Her head passed out of sight for a fraction of a second before his view suddenly shifted and he was looking at the whole scene from about twenty yards to the side as her teeth sank into 'his' body.

Which promptly exploded.

* * *

Orochimaru was…vexed.

Part of the problem was that, up till now, things had been going so well. He had easily snuck into the village via one of the several tunnels he'd created during his tenure in Konoha, easily killed the team from Kusa, and everything was going to plan. Sasuke was good enough to be interesting but weak enough to tempt and oh so emotionally _vulnerable_. He'd separated that annoying redhead from his quarry and then, just when he was _so close_ to testing his newest possible acquisition, a perfectly-timed kawarimi/daibakuha combo had nearly taken his head off. Now his disguise was damaged (along with his mouth, but a quickly-shed skin could fix that) and Sasuke was surrounded by a dozen copies of a boy he was fairly sure he'd killed. It was all very annoying.

"I admit I'm somewhat surprised to see you alive." He said as soon as his newly uninjured body crawled out of the distended mouth of the old one. "I was quite sure my friend would be more than enough to take care of a single genin." Orochimaru rolled his shoulders as his joints settled back in place and watched the other boy curiously as he shrugged.

"It was just a big snake."

He frowned at the nonchalance in the boy's tone. Shoma was nowhere near his most powerful summon but he made a wonderful enforcer, large and powerful with thick scales that would shrug off most attacks. Even a talented genin should have been easily crushed.

"Yes, well, as impressive as it is that you survived I think you have something of mine." Orochimaru replied, a touch shortly. That explosion would have drawn the attention of more than just the other genin in the forest, and despite his personal power things weren't in place to crush Konoha _just_ yet. He would have to work quickly if he wanted to mark Sasuke.

The boy moved protectively in front of his semi-conscious teammate as the copies around him readied weapons but Orochimaru let loose a blast of killing intent an order of magnitude above the one he'd used before and saw the boy and his clones freeze. A single chakra-strengthened leap took him to the branch his target was standing on and he casually walked past the frozen forms towards Sasuke.

"Now that the _interruptions_ have been dealt with-" He started to say as he leaned towards Sasuke's neck, only to immediately kawarimi with a nearby branch as decades of battle-hardened instincts screamed at him. The moment the technique finished Orochimaru looked back to where he'd been standing and, for the first time in many years, openly gaped.

The space he'd stood only a heartbeat before was currently occupied by a forest of transparent chains, the branch he'd used as his substitute barely more than a cloud of splinters falling to the forest floor below, but that wasn't what had his mind momentarily stuttering. It was the fact that these chains were familiar, and they were all coming from Sasuke's teammate and his copies.

' _They're not all dead!?'_

For most of his life Orochimaru had had a fascination with Kekkei Genkai and the limits of the human form, but for all his experimentation and genius three had always eluded him. The Sharingan, with its esoteric requirements for activation and advancement, was nearly impossible to get ahold of; first because most of the Uchiha with activated sharingan either stayed in their district or were part of the Military Police (who had had an irritating habit of never being alone, and thus were difficult to ambush) and later because they were almost all dead. The Mokuton, which despite its immense power had only been usable by two people in all the history of the elemental nations despite his best efforts. And finally there was the Kongō Fūsa, which had the frustrations of both rolled into one. There were almost no Uzumaki left by the time Orochimaru became interested in them, and those few he had been able to find hadn't been able to manifest the power at all. The only Uzumaki he'd known of that definitely had the ability had been skilled enough to give him trouble in her own right even if she hadn't been attached to that damnable Namikaze. He'd eventually given up on them as a lost cause and focused on the one that seemed possible, if difficult, to obtain, and now this!

Even as his mind was processing the new knowledge and its implications Orochimaru's body was moving, deflecting several chains and other projectiles as they snaked out from the forest around him. Out of curiosity he pulled the Sword of Kusanagi from its storage snake and took a slash at one of the chains, noting that the barely-visible scratch on the surface lasted only a fraction of a second before returning to its pristine state. He was starting to get annoyed at the constant attacks, which seemed to give off barely any chakra and were difficult to predict, and was getting ready to put the redhead down hard when he felt a familiar mass of chakra coming his way.

' _Damn, it's too early!'_

Orochimaru scowled briefly as he realized his playtime was up, but the new opportunity to gain one of the few things that had eluded him for so long calmed much of his anger. He could be patient. He had time. ' _All the time in the world_ '. He smiled at his little joke before using a quick shunsin to move to another tree across from the boy.

"It's been fun, but our time is up." He began making hand seals even as Anko's chakra reached the edge of the clearing.

"OROCHIMARU!"

Ignoring the shout of his wayward apprentice, he kept his eyes trained on the boy in front of him. "Give the Old Man my regards." His tone was pleasant as he completed the last hand sign and disappeared.

* * *

Things moved quickly after Orochimaru disappeared. Anko had showed up just as the ninja, who he now knew was one of the infamous Sannin, vanished and was loudly unhappy about it. She'd destroyed several trees in the immediate area to vent her rage before turning to Naruto and demanding a full account, which he gave as quickly as was feasible with a kunai held at his throat by a crazy woman. When she'd finally released him she swore loudly before telling him to continue with the exams and vanishing in a swirl of leaves. With a nearly-comatose Sakura and an unconscious Uchiha around Naruto decided that discretion was only the better part of valor when you didn't need to get somewhere fast and spammed the area with clones. One group kept watch while another group retraced their steps to the centipede nest and quickly and quietly killed one to complete their set of bands. With all three in hand (and clones carrying both his teammates) they'd made good time to the center of the forest and now stood before the tower.

"Now how do I get in…" Naruto muttered to himself as he looked around before noticing an etching of three interlocking circles cut into the stone side of the tower. The circles proved to be of different depths as he tried to fit his bands inside, and as soon as the shallowest depression was filled he heard a click and a door opened in a formerly featureless section of the tower wall. Naruto immediately went on guard as he heard movement but sighed in relief as a familiar shock of white hair emerged.

"Ruto? What happened!?" Kakashi immediately rushed over to his unconscious students as Naruto motioned towards the door.

"This discussion might be better held inside."


End file.
